Rise From the Ashes
by IntertwinedThread
Summary: When Panem is back in the clutches of an oppressive dictator, Katniss and Peeta's daughter, Ashlyn Mellark, knows she's going to go into the Hunger Games. But, she'll be playing a much larger game - a game of lies and deceit - with an enemy more cunning than Snow himself. Although she is dreading the Games she reins in her fear knowing there will be much worse games to play.
1. Birthday Punishment

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games or the Hunger Games characters. All rights go to Suzanne Collins.**

 **Chapter 1.) Birthday Punishment**

Suddenly, there is a familiar hand on my shoulder, shaking me out of my slumber. I rub my eyes as I yawn. My eyes flutter open. Right in front of me is my "adorable" 14 year old brother with a beaming grin on his face and his shining grey eyes, known as the "Seam eyes" and blond hair. On the other hand, I have my father's beautiful blue eyes and my mother's dark hair. People describe it as a nice combination for a Mellark child.

"What is it Rye?" I say with a tired voice. I throw my pillow that is next to me at him causing his perfect blonde hair to fall over his eyes. "Let me sleep." I say as I close my eyes. Literally, 5 seconds later I feel his hand shaking me again. I open my eyes again and he is in front of me but this time with a box in his hand.

"Happy Birthday Ash!" He exclaims. Oh my God. How could I forget my own birthday? I jolt upright in a sitting position. "This is for you sis" he says handing me the wrapped box that was in his hands. "Thanks Rye." I say while I take the box. I quickly tear of the wrapping paper. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes before I took the lid of. However before I could open my eyes I feel something hairy scurry across my arm. I open my eyes and I see a hairy spider. I scream as loud as I can, causing Rye to laugh. How did I not guess? It has to be Rye. "Did you like my gift?" He questions putting a serious look on his face, which soon turns into a chuckle.

"I'm going to get you for this Rye." I scream as I quickly push the duvet off of me and leap out of bed. Rye has already dashed to the door, knowing I am an incredibly fast runner. I run down the stairs past the kitchen, where my parents are. I quickly examine their faces as I pass them. They both have a smile of their face, but it is fake. I can see the worry on their brow. Something is wrong. Dad is in the kitchen baking, obviously, my birthday cake or cheese buns (which are, alongside my mum, my favourite). Mum is sitting on the chair by the kitchen counter, probably talking to Dad about something serious. They have been worried for the past few weeks. I am not sure why.

I let it pass as I see Rye heading for the living room. Rye is running so fast that he doesn't notice the coffee table and stumbles over.

"Rye be careful" I hear my Mum say in a worried tone. "You to Ashlyn." Yes my full name is Ashlyn Mellark, nicknamed Ash. Rye stumbling over causes him to slow down and I finally get my hands on him. I push him onto the sofa, while I stand over him, both of us panting.

"Ha, revenge time" I say putting forward my hands. I start to tickle him, knowing that my dear brother is extremely ticklish. Perfect revenge. I hear his laughter get louder as he brings forward his fingers and starts to retaliate. My dear brother also knows my weakness. We have the same weakness. We both stop and get off the sofa and then burst into laughter. A great start to my birthday.

I suddenly realise I hadn't even talked to my parents. I swiftly run over to my Mum and give her a huge hug. My Dad and Rye soon join us hugging us both. I feel safe. I never want this moment to change.

"Happy 16th Birthday Ash." Dad says as we all let go.

"Happy Birthday Ashlyn." Mum never calls me by my nickname but I honestly do not know why.

"Thank you" I say as I pick up one of the cheese buns Dad made. Mum instantly slaps it out of my hand.

"Did you have a shower?" She asks. I shake my head in shame and I walk up the stairs.

After having a 40 minute shower, I get dressed in a black and white striped top and comfortable jeans. I walk downstairs to find everyone already eating.

"Thanks for waiting for the birthday girl guys." I state.

"Don't worry Ash. We weren't eating, we were just tasting it to see if it is perfect." Rye says. I laugh it off and just pat him on the shoulder before taking my seat. We are soon done with breakfast and I insist that we watch the news. Every year there is a news report on my birthday because after all I am the daughter of the star-crossed lovers. However, this year my parents are hesitant. I plead because this is the one time in the year I get attention from the Capitol. Even after 24 years of the rebellion people decided to call it the Capitol as they were all used to it. After a lot of begging they finally agree.

I perch myself between Dad and Rye on the sofa with Mum on the other side of Dad. Mum switches the TV on and puts on the news channel.

On the TV we can see the usual District 12 reporter standing in front of the renovated Justice Building of District 12. She says "I am here in District 12, home of the legendary Katniss and Peeta Mellark and their children Ashlyn and Rye Mellark." We all glance at each other for a while and then carry on watching. "As you all know today is the day the daughter of the Mockingjay, Ashlyn Mellark was born and today she is turning…"

All of a sudden the screen goes black. We all look at each other, confused. Suddenly comes another telecast but it is not set in District 12 but from the Capitol.

On the screen shows President Paylor knelt down in the background, hands tied behind her back and a familiar yet unfamiliar face in the foreground. His face looks a lot like a person I had seen in my history textbooks but I cannot put my finger on it. The man looks like he is in his 30s. He has a black French beard and thick black hair. He has snake-like eyes that looked directly at the camera. He has a strange and unsettling grin on his face.

"Citizens of Panem. I am Mr Aquilo Snow, grandson of the honourable ex-President Coriolanus Snow. My team of rebels situated in the Capitol have successfully taken over the Nut in District 2 and have wiped out District 13 completely." He says. They next broadcast a video of District 13 being bombed. I close my eyes for most of it. "Due to the capture of the current and disappointing President and the taking over of the government, I will be crowned President of Panem tomorrow and take control of all Districts and the Capitol from tomorrow onwards. An early warning has now been issued about changes. In penance for all the lives lost in the pointless rebellion and a reminder that lives are valuable the annual Hunger Games are now being reinstated with each District providing one male and one female tribute aged between 12 and 18. The reaping will take place exactly one month later. Rules will be the same unless told otherwise." I put my head in my hands as a tear begins to roll down my cheek.

"And one more thing. Happy 16th Birthday" He adds and simultaneously a gun is held up pointing at Paylor's head and the gun is shot as she falls to the floor. Our President is dead. I starts to burst into tears. I know who he is targeting. I know who is going into the Games.

Me.

I cannot believe this is happening. After 24 years of peace we are back to where everyone started-before the rebellion. For what so many people sacrificed their lives for, for what so many people fought for is coming back.

I soon realise that taking over Panem wouldn't have been that difficult. Especially the Capitol. It was known that the Capitol people did not like the absence of the Hunger Games and was very disappointed with the government for not continuing them. It wouldn't have been hard for Aquilo to convince them to support him and the Hunger Games.

The Hunger Games. I know almost everything about the Hunger Games because we learn about the Hunger Games in detail in history. Also my parents are the star-crossed lovers and they have survived the Games twice, which is why they told me everything when I was 12-Reaping age. They told Rye 2 years ago. Oh my gosh. Rye. I completely forgot about him. He is eligible for the Reaping too. He will probably go into the Games to. After all he is a Mellark. Aquilo will obviously rig the Reaping to make the Mellark kids go in- to break the Mockinjay.

I soon snap out of my daze. I realise that I have been crying out an ocean. I feel a pair of hands on my shoulders pulling me into a hug. I look up to see it is my Dad. Wait. My parents. They must've known about this for weeks. That's why they were so worried. I get up swiftly.

"You knew about this, didn't you?" I burst out catching my parents off guard. They both jump up. "You knew about the Nut, 13 and the Capitol, didn't you?" I say. "Why didn't you tell us?" I ask.

Dad walks up to me. "Ash, I'm sorry dear but we didn't want to get you worried" he says.

"Well look who's worried now." I say rudely.

Mum walks up to me too. "Ashlyn, listen dear…"

"I am going out to the woods." I interrupt as I put my (my mother's) hunting jacket on.

With that burst of emotions, I dash of out of our house in the Victor's Village and off towards the fence. As I run I hear many people wish me a happy birthday. Those are probably the people who haven't yet heard the news. As I ignore the numerous birthday wishes, I catch the quizzical looks of the people of District 12 as I run past them because I am a very social person so I make sure I say hello to everyone.

Finally, I reach the fence, which is as usual not powered. It hasn't been because going past the fence is no longer illegal. I heard stories about how my mum used to sneak into the wood back in the time when it wasn't allowed. I run into the woods. The woods is the place I find peace at. I go there at least 3 times a week to hunt. Mum started training me when I was 5 even though there was no need. But now it will come to use. I can use a bow and arrow, knives and a spear, however I do specialise with a bow and arrow. I can even set up snares. My survival skills are excellent mainly because of the family book on plants. Dad didn't focus on training and decided to encourage me to paint and bake. I can paint but not bake. Rye can do both and is extremely strong. Just like Dad.

In my own thoughts I don't realise how far into the woods I ran. Carelessly, I run stumbling over every twig or branch coming in my way until suddenly I bump into someone.

"I'm so sorry, it was an accident." I say looking at my feet. A pair of hands grasp my shoulders.

"Ash, what are you saying? Who else would be in the woods other than us two?" He says. That is when I look up. I go on my tiptoes and take him in an embrace.

"Jay!" I exclaim and burst into even more tears soaking the back of his shirt.

"What's wrong birthday girl? I have been waiting here for the past hour." He says. Jesse Remington is my best friend. He is the same age as me. We have been for the past 8 years. We met in the woods and became friends after we shot down the same rabbit and argued over who deserves it. We are extremely close. So close that people think that we are a couple. However we have both made it clear that we are best friends. In fact he is in a relationship. We are so close I call him Jay, occasionally. Jesse pulls apart and holds me at arm length.

"J…Jesse" I say as my hands shake. "The Hunger Games." "They are coming back." His eyes widen in shock.

"What! How…how can they be back?" He asks, obviously not expecting this.

"President Paylor is dead and Snow's grandson, Aquilo is going to be president tomorrow. Jesse I am going into the Games. I know I am." Jesse pulls me back into an embrace, mainly to console me.

"Ash, the odds you will be picked is not high. Your name will only be in there 5 times and there are many children in the District who could be picked." He states.

"Even if I don't get picked, someone will. Someone who doesn't deserve to die." I say.

Jesse does not try to make me feel better any further as he knows it is pointless. Instead we stay in each other's arms, knowing that is the only way we both feel better. I don't even realise when we both doze off knowing that the other one is there to protect them.

About three hours later my eyes flutter open to see that Jesse has already hunted down 3 rabbits. Despite all this tension he is still thinking about his family. His family owns an antique shop, which hasn't been doing so well these days, which is why Jesse hunts to earn money and food for his family.

"Finally, you're awake birthday princess." He says as bows down.

"Shut up Jay" I say throwing a twig at him.

"I think it's time to go." Jay says as he packs the rabbits in his bag and points at the sun, which travelled to the highest point in the sky. Noon.

I do not argue. We walk slowly and gently taking in the peaceful atmosphere, which is probably temporary. As we approach the fence Jesse stops me. I look at him, confused. He has a strange expression. A fearful expression. I have never seen him this scared before. I follow to what he is looking at, which is in front of us. There is a giant line of about 10 Peacekeepers in front of us on our side of the fence, all with their guns ready to attack. All 10 of the Peacekeepers march towards us provocatively. I feel Jesse find my hand and squeeze it. He, despite not looking at me, can tell how petrified I am. One Peacekeeper steps forward out of the formation in front of us. He takes his helmet of. That is when I see his face. He has a square face and grey hair and small green eyes that give us a death glare.

"Rufus Donnelly. Head Peacekeeper. What brings you out of the District today?" He asks looking down at Jesse's bag from which a rabbit's paw is seen. "Ah, Hunting. Fabulous. Well I am sure you two know that hunting and venturing out of the District is now against the law." I have a confused expression on my face. Rufus obviously reads this expression as he continues. "President Aquilo has written a new set of laws, which means you two trespassers will be punished severely."

Rufus continues to give me an unsettling glare as he holds a gun up at my head and the same is done to Jay by another Peacekeeper to threaten us to do what he says. Violently, he grabs my arm and drags me through the fence, towards the square. I feel my knees graze the grass and then the pavement as he pulls me across. He walks extremely fast that I eventually give up and get dragged across the pavement. Finally we reach the square, filled with many people with perplexed looks as a punishment of this sort was very rare. Rufus ties me up to a pole with me on my knees and the same done to Jay. I try and wriggle my wrists out of the rope but it is of no use, as all I feel is more pain of the rough rope. I turn my head to try and see the crowd, gasping at the sight of me being punished, but all I can see is Rufus' deadly expression telling me that that is the end, with his arm held high in an attack position, and a sharp whip in his hand.

In shock and fear I turn my head and close my eyes and wait for the pain….

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys, this is my first fanfiction. I literally love Katniss and Peeta that's why I am writing a story about their daughter**

 **I know their daughter's name is Willow but I named her Ashlyn for a reason you will find out soon.**

 **I hope you guys review because I want to know your opinion. Even if it is for improvement, I appreciate reviews. I will try my best to improve my fanfic based on reviews. Please feel free to follow and favourite my fan fiction.**

 **Thanks guys ;)**


	2. The Unknown Saviour

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games or the characters. All rights go to Suzanne Collins**

 **A/N: Hey guys. I uploaded a new chapter early. Its my holidays so I have a lot of free time. Enjoy and please review. Pretty please.**

 **Chapter 2) My Unknown Saviour**

I wait. And wait. But the stroke doesn't come. The pain doesn't come. The whip doesn't come. I keep my eyes closed knowing that the foreseen excruciating pain will arrive, soon. I think that until I hear a voice.

"Stop!" He yells. A voice hoarse and cracked but deep. Probably been crying for a while now. "Stop!" He yells again. I open my eyes to see my saviour. I cannot seem to locate him until he yells again. He is directly at my left towering over me. I see a tall, quite muscular boy, about my age with dark, hazel-coloured hair and deep, ocean-blue eyes like mine. Strangely, I have never seen this boy before in my life and I know almost everyone in the District. It is a tiny district compared to other ones I have visited. I stare at his courage until his eyes meet mine, giving me a reassuring smile. His eyes, however, show despair.

"What is the meaning of this intervention? Intervention is an act of offence and is also deemed punishable." Rufus states in his same tone, with a hint of offence. Rufus steps forward and due to his incredible height towers of the boy, whip in hand.

"Wait. Please hear me out. Don't punish these two please." He pleads. I look back at him with a confused expression and worried expression. He may land into trouble too and I don't want him to, just for us.

"How dare you tell me what I should do?"

"I just wanted to say that these laws aboout venturing out of the District has been made by our new President Aquilo right?" He asks with smart tone. Rufus nods with a furrowed brow. "Exactly, and I think that in today's broadcast our soon-to-be President Aquilo mentioned he will be crowned tomorrow and he will have control from tomorrow," he mentions as he points to the repeat telecast of Aquilo's speech that was running in the square. What a coincidence. "Therefore, the previous laws of hunting being legal is applicable not the new one yet." How brave is this boy to challenge a Peacekeeper?

I expect a rough answer from Rufus but all I get is silence until I hear a familiar voice.

"The young lad is right." He explains, with an unstable voice. Haymitch. My Godfather and uncle. He finally makes the run up to Rufus. "Let these two go and from tomorrow, when the laws are applicable, I will make sure that they will not venture out again of the District again."

I turn around to see Rufus and Uncle Haymitch next to each other, Uncle Haymitch still trying to reason out. I can see Rufus' face as it looks like he trying to calculate and process the theory mentioned by the boy. The boy. How could I forget? I turn to my left to see the boy still there but further away. His eyes meet mine and he gives me a reassuring smile. I feel a lot calmer and I think that I might get home without a scar. I then turn to my left to see Jesse, still tied up but doesn't seem as panicked as I am. He seems calm. He realises I look at him and looks into my eyes, probably seeing the fear. I then watch him mouth something to me that I make out to be "It's okay." I am about to mouth something else when I get distracted by Rufus.

"Okay you can go. Untie them." He says. Instantly, Uncle Haymitch comes to untie by arm, which are now numb, and helps me up. He then, quickly, moves to Jesse and starts to untie his hands. I, sluggishly, stand up and turn around to find Rufus right in front of me. He leans in closer towards my ear.

"Mellark." He says. How does he know who I am? It is like he can read my mind when he says "Of course I know you…who doesn't? Do not think this is the end. It will be made sure that the Mellarks will pay." He walks off, while is last words linger in my head. I freeze as I think of my parents and brother captured by the Capitol. Tortured. Punished. But no death. His comment just confirms my thought of Aquilo targeting me. Suddenly, I am taken aback by Jesse hugging me, which pulls me out of my frozen state.

"What's wrong?" He asks, looking at my frightened and worried face.

"What do you think would be wrong after being on the brink of punishment…?" Haymitch says. He can be a bit…a bit…unpleasant. But we are very close. It is strange. Me being close to a drunk person. I found out a lot about Mum and Dad from Haymitch but at a cost. I have to sneak in some alcohol hidden in our house. In my opinion it is a great deal.

"Ash, are you sure you're alright because I need to get home…it's time for Mum's medicines." He questions, completely ignoring Haymitch's comment. Jesse's mum has this rare disease, which no one from the District knows about, but which requires medicines to be given at accurate times. The medicines are sent from the Capitol and they have no choice but to trust the Capitol doctors.

"I…I am fine Jay. Go home. I know it's important." I say

"I will see you tomorrow." He says as he again embraces me and runs home.

I turn to look at the boy again to say thank you but he is not there, but is in fact running away in the opposite direction. Strange, he seems my age but I have never seen him at my school. I need to thank him, if I can find him. Soon after, Uncle Haymitch and I, somehow, make our way, pushing through the dense crowd that gathered to watch this punishment, towards the Victors Village. I think Haymitch's fury that he displayed impacted the crowd to let us through. However, on the way, I see my parents running towards us screaming my name.

"Ashlyn." My mum screams.

"Ash." My dad yells.

They finally reach me and inspect me for any wounds before taking me into an embrace. I burst into tears soaking Dad and Mum's shoulder.

"Greasy Sae told us what happened and we came right away. Are you alright?" They ask. I nod and we head back into our house to find Rye pacing back and forth in the kitchen. I am bombarded by questions from Rye but my parents stop him and send me to my room. My parents' guide me towards my room, where I get changed and fall into bed. I am incredibly tired even though it is only 6pm. My eyes are about to firmly shut until I hear a noise.

Dad then walks into the room and sits by my bed. He strokes my hair gently, which brings a feeling of peace and calmness in me. My relationship with my Dad is very good. We are incredibly close. Closer than I am to Mum.

"Dad." I say.

"Yes dear." He says lovingly.

"Is there a chance that all this changes?" I ask. My dad looks confused. "I mean is there a chance that these changes never happen."

"Things that we do not want happen a lot dear. But we need to be brave enough to wait for the right time. And when the right time arrives, we need to have the courage to fight it. The determination to carry on. And most importantly, the hope that everything will be better again. After all hope is stronger than fear." He says. Hope. That is the word that looms in my mind.

"Dad, you and Mum told me about District 13 being stationed underground, is there a chance that the bombing that was shown on TV was old or fake. Or that it was real but did not affect 13's underground system. That District 13 is alive" Dad's eyes widen.

"We'll talk about this later but first you need to rest." He says avoiding my question. Maybe he doesn't want to talk about it or doesn't want to give me false hopes.

And with that, I close my eyes and wander off into a land that I would much rather be at. Dream land. I land where I find tranquility and peace.

After what seems like a couple of minutes later I feel stroking on my forehead, which awakes me from my sleep. I flutter my eyes gently and try and make out who is in front of me. I see blond hair.

"Rye?" I question

"No dear it's Dad." I cannot believe how similar the two look despite the age difference. Dad looks unbelievably young. Thanks to the Capitol. I yawn, tiredly, and sit up on my bed.

"Come on Ash, get up. I have something to show you." He says pulling me out of bed. We walk towards the staircase until he stops me. Everything happens to quick after that moment. In a blink of an eye all I can see is black as a piece of cloth being placed over my eyes. Instantly, I start moving my arms, looking for Dad for support.

"I am right here Ash." He says, holding my arm and guiding me down the stairs. As soon as I am sure I have covered all the stairs I ask Dad about what is happening but no answer. After about a couple of steps, the cloth is taken of my eyes. It takes time to recover from the temporary blindness as I can see dark spots blocking my vision. After the black spots have disappeared I can see myself in the kitchen next to the wall with all my paintings.

I give a confused expression until I look out in front of me at the counter. Rye and Mum on either side of the counter, both of them wearing a gleaming smile. I say wearing because I can see the despair and sadness in their eyes. They are just displaying excitement. Dad joins Mum placing his arm around Mum's waist. I seriously love how they love each other, so immensely. Those small gestures bring so much happiness to them. I wish I find someone like that one day.

However, soon after, something catches my eye in the middle of the counter, which drags me out of my thoughts. I turn my gaze to the counter, to see a beautiful creation. It is my dad's creation. It is a round cake, iced with white and purple. Accompanying the beautiful, snow-white icing, are gorgeous and elegant purple flowers placed on. Dad has kept me in mind making this cake. I love nature and he knows it.

"Happy Birthday Ashlyn." Says everyone simultaneously. My confused expression turns into a glowing grin as I realise how I forgot my birthday in all the chaos. "It's time to blow out the candles and cut the cake. And hurry up Ash it's almost 12 o'clock." Says Rye.

I lean in to blow the 16 candles on the cake but am interrupted.

"Don't forget to make a wish." Mum reminds me. I close my eyes and take a long deep breath thinking about my wish.

As I blow the candles I close my eyes. _I wish everyone to be peaceful, happy and safe._ This is what seems most necessary considering the situation.

I pick up the knife and reluctantly pierce the perfect cake into a triangle slice. I wish I didn't ruin the look of the cake but at the same time I really did want to taste the cake. Gently, I take the slice in my hand and hold it out to my dad, who took a small bite. I then move on to Mum and Rye, who then feed me back. I savour the sweet flavour bursting in my mouth. People think that I get to taste sweet pastries and delicacies, coming for a baker family but that is not the case. Mum is incredibly strict about the amount of cake or sweet dishes as she knows Rye and I do get slightly hyper. The last time we had excess sweets, we broke a sofa and coffee table. Rye and I are a hyper pair.

I cherish this moment of togetherness and quality time with family and this will probably one of the last times I will spend a happy evening with my family as I know Aquio will see to it that I will be in the Games.

Mum and Dad send me and Rye to our rooms. I am about to enter my room when Rye asks what I wished for.

"Peace. Happiness. Safety," is all I say before entering my room without looking back at Rye.

 _A forest. A beautiful rainforest with rare and adorable little creatures and gorgeous plants and flowers surrounding me. Curiously, I explore the forest. I wander aimlessly around the forest until I come across a strong-rooted ash tree, the tree I have been named after. I gently place my hand on the bark of the tree and stroke it down the crevices._

 _I admire the tree until I hear a scream. A familiar scream coming from behind me. Swiftly, I turn my head to find a boy on his knees and a man in a white suit towering over him with a whip in hand. The situation seems too familiar. All I can see of the boy is his beautiful blonde hair._

 _The man pulls the hair up therefore his head. I stumble back at the face. The grey eyes show so much despair. Show the want for me to help. For his sister to help. It is Rye. Instinct takes over me as I run towards Rye. But it is too late. The man raises his arm, whip in hand, ready to attack. Rapidly, he lowers his arm and as it comes to contact with his body, he lets out a painful scream._

"Rye!" I exclaim with my eyes still encountering darkness. Reluctantly and slowly, I open my eyes not wanting to see what had happened but when I do all I see is the sunset that I painted my bedroom walls. It was a dream. Wait. Not a dream.

A nightmare.

I wipe the sweat off my brow and wipe the tears off my cheek, which has now become my daily routine as I seem to get nightmares more frequently nowadays.

I turn my head to the right to check the time on the clock. 7:00 am it reads. That is extremely early for a Sunday. I then check the calendar. 12 days until the reaping. It is getting closer. My death is getting closer. I brush the thought out of my head, slip on my slippers and glide down the stairs. I know I won't be able to sleep, especially after a nightmare, and I don't bother to try. Mum and Dad are probably awake too, due to nightmares, but are probably still in their rooms. Dad consoling Mum. Mum gets nightmares even more regularly after the news of the Hunger Games coming back came back.

I tiptoe into the kitchen hoping not to disturb anyone but as I do so I can see the study room door open. That's strange. I locked the door myself last night. Cautiously, I creep up towards the door, just in case someone dangerous could be in there. As I get closer I hear some familiar voices. Mum and Dad's and some other unknown voice. I peer through the door to see Mum and Dad having a video call with President Aquilo. I place my ear on the door to be able to hear the conversation.

"They cannot be reaped Mr President. They just cannot." Says Mum

"I am sorry Miss Everdeen, I mean Mrs Mellark but there is nothing I can do." Aquilo blurts out.

"But you're our honourable President and you have the power to save our children. I beg of you, please save them. We won't be able to survive without them." Dad begs.

"Flattery will not work on me Mr Mellark." Chuckles Aquilo. "And regarding your children. They will sign up like normal and they will have just the same chances as the rest of the District." He lies. Lies because I know very well it is rigged. I have 100% chance especially after the "heart-warming" shout out on my birthday by the President. "It is only fair." He adds. Fair really? I cannot believe they are actually talking calmly to this ruthless President. But I know they are doing this for us.

Mum loses her temper. "If my son and daughter goes into those stupid Games, which the dumb Capitol people deem as entertainment, the Districts will know the Games are rigged. There will be uprisings. There will be rebellions against you. The fire is still present, Mr President." Mum bursts out and is instantly consoled by my Dad.

"If you do anything against me Mrs Mellark, it will just increase the chances of your son and daughter dying. I am sure you wouldn't want that. Anyway Mrs Mellark, there will be no uprisings. There will be no rebellions. Because I have extinguished the fire. The fire is gone. There is only ash. Only ash..." He says and instantly disconnects the call. Maybe he is right. All the powerful parts of Panem are in his control. Maybe there is no way out. Maybe the hope is gone. Maybe there is no way to escape my doom.

I am so engrossed in my thoughts, I do not realise my parents are standing right before me, giving me the what-are-you-doing-here look. Dad has his arm around Mum's waist, probably steadying her. I put my head down.

"Ash what are you doing here, sweetie." Dad says softly.

"I couldn't sleep so I came downstairs and I saw the study open so I just came to close the door but I saw you two coming out of there." I lie, leaving out the nightmares and the eavesdropping.

"Okay, let's sit down and we'll quiz you on survival skills." Dad says.

Ever since the announcement of the reinstating of the Hunger Games, Rye and I have been given training. This includes weapons, hand-to-hand combat and survival skills. My parents know I will go into the Games along with Rye, therefore they are giving us a lot of preparation. Every day Mum would take Rye to the woods in the morning to teach him to use different weapons and survival skills, while I stay at home with Dad to get my strength up. He would quiz me and on what Mum taught on survival skills.

After a couple of hours I would go to the woods and Rye would go home to do the same. However, when I am with Mum I do not show-off my skills with a spear or bow and arrow because I don't want her to know I am just like her, mainly because she has heard this a lot. Our temper, our stubbornness, our looks and our skills are so similar it is hard to tell the difference other than eye colour. Ever since the incident with the Peacekeeper, I have been quite hesitant with going into the woods, however Mum found a part of the fence that was not charged and was hidden, which meant not getting caught. This is how we can train. I was surprised Mum encouraged me to go into the woods because knowing her she wants to keep us away from trouble.

After my couple hours of training and top tips given by Mum, she leaves the woods for me to wait for Jesse. I told him about the secret part of the fence, so I meet up with him every day.

"So Ash, name two poisonous berries." Dad asks.

"Umm." I say, tapping my feet. "Nightlock and Bittersweet berries." I say.

"Good." Mum says, clearly impressed. However, she hasn't been impressed with the way I have been under performing with the weapons. I have done it on purpose. I don't want her to know I am good with weapons because she may doubt what I do in the woods.

"Okay, tell me what you need to examine when camouflaging yourself." Mum asks.

"Surroundings, colour and weather." I say.

"Correct again. You're doing really well with your survival skills." Dad says. The quizzing carries on and so does my daily routine. This happens for several days.

The 11 days that were left went extremely quickly. The same daily routine, along with a lot of tears and sobs, this time including Rye. I am pleased to know that if Rye is reaped he will have a good chance of winning. He is excelling in survival skills, hand-to-hand combat and his weapons. We know that our time at home is coming to an end. We know that our countdown will begin. Our countdown will begin tomorrow.

Reaping day. Tomorrow.

 **A/N**

 **So who is this mysterious boy? Any guesses? Who do you think will be reaped?**

 **Feel free to review. The more reviews the better because they motivate me so more reviews means better chapters.**

 **Deal?**

 _ **May the odds be ever in your favour...**_


	3. Reaping with a Volunteer

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games or characters. (I wish I did though). All rights go to Suzanne Collins.**

 **A/N: I am so happy as I got my first review. Thanks Xena. I am hoping I upload a chapter everyday. OH GOD: Reaping Day. Very scary day huh...**

 **Chapter 3) Reaping with a volunteer**

The air was tense. I could feel the restlessness and nervousness in the air. Of course it does. It is reaping day. I can only imagine the anxiety in other households of 12, whose children signed up for the tesserae. I get out of bed. Last night I just laid on the bed but couldn't sleep. There was no point in sleeping anyway - all that would come would be nightmares. I walk towards my window, to find a beautiful and elegant bird perched on the branch that lies in front of my window. I watch as the bird flutters its wings. Absolutely gorgeous. However, the bird soon spots me and seems alarmed as it instantly takes flight and flies away. How I wish I was a bird. Elegant. If only I had the freedom to fly away when something bad happened. If I were I bird, I wouldn't be in Panem at all by now.

Soon enough I snap out of my thought due to my alarm going off. 9 am. I need to take a shower quickly, so that I can spend maximum time with my family. I hop into the shower. I turn the shower on to find hot water coming out. The hot water drips down my body, which brings so much peace to my mind. It makes me feel so nice and calm. In that thought I spend about 50 minutes in the shower until I realise I spent too long. I wrap my towel around myself and exit the bathroom. In my bedroom I find a yellow dress lying on my bed. It is a warm, summer yellow dress. It is a complete contrast to the feeling on the reaping day. Cold. The dress is short sleeved and is laced on the top and the bottom on the dress. There is a purple, ribbon belt in the middle of the dress. Delicately, I pick up the dress and stroke the soft and gentle material.

"This is for you." I hear from behind me. I turn around to see Mum leaning on the door frame. I smile.

"It is beautiful Mum. Thank you. I love you." I say while I run to hug her. As soon as I enter her arms, all my emotions just melt. I begin weeping on Mum's shoulder. Mum pulls apart and holds me at arm length.

"Shhhhh. It's alright Ashlyn." She says patting my head. "You have to be brave. I know you are brave Ashlyn. I know you are courageous. You need to show it. Don't worry. Daddy and I are always with you." She says. I think my dad's quality of being good with words has rubbed off on Mum. I smile at her words that have calmed me down drastically. She soon leaves so I can change.

20 minutes later I take a look at myself in the mirror. The dress fits me perfectly. I braid my hair in the same way my mum did during the games. It's done purposely. I want to show Aquilo we are still strong. After being satisfied with how I look I run down the stairs. I see dad wearing a white shirt and black trousers. Rye is wearing a white shirt as well but with brown trousers. He looks incredibly smart. Mum soon walks into the living room. She is wearing a knee-length light blue dress. She has simple make-up on too but just enough to conceal the dark circles under her eyes from the lack of sleep and the excess crying. Dad walks towards me.

"You look just like your mother." Dad says as he plants a kiss on my forehead. I smile and glance at Mum. It sometimes gets annoying being compared to the Mockingjay but now is not the time to disagree.

I walk up to Rye and look him in the eye. "You've grown up a lot Rye. Look at you. You look like a man. You act just as responsible." I hesitate a bit. I don't know why I am saying this to him but I feel the need to do so. I just need to tell him this. "Ummmm. Just be brave Rye. Please be brave Rye. Don't be scared." I say almost choking. Soon after tears start flowing out of my eyes, slowly. I soon feel his hand on my cheek, wiping away my tear.

"I will be brave Ash. I will be brave. I won't be scared. For you." He says. And with that I pull him in an embrace. We stay like that for a while until we pull away. "Are you ready to do this?" He questions, putting forward his hand.

"I am." I say taking his hand in mine. Dad soon takes my hand. Mum takes Rye. Hand in hand we walk out of the door in the Victors' Village, looking strong and united. From the corner of my eye I see Uncle Haymitch who soon joins us, taking Mum's hand.

We walk to the square in the same manner. As we walk towards the square I spot many children and parents. Many children weeping at the thought of being reaped. Many children's faces buried in their parents lap. I can see the sadness present here. We soon get to the square.

"We will see you two after the reaping, okay." Says Dad to me and Rye, reassuring us despite knowing that will not happen. With that Mum, Dad and Uncle Haymitch walk towards the stage to where the past victors are meant to sit. I put my arm around Rye and walk towards the counter that signs us up. On the way I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn around swiftly. I see Jesse's calming face.

"Jay!" I exclaim, taking him into an embrace.

"Are you nervous?" He stupidly asks. I raise my eyebrow.

"What do you think?" I say as he puts his hands up in defense. "At least I know you're safe. Your name is only in there five times." I state, causing him to look down. "No!" I exclaim. "You signed up for tesserae, didn't you." I say, causing him to nod in embarrassment. "What were you thinking? It increases your chances."

"What was I meant to do? My family doesn't have a lot of money. We need the extra food and grain. We need it." He says as his eyes well up.

"I am sorry Jay." I say. I burst into tears. He guides me and Rye to the signing up counter. The lady pricks my finger and forcefully places it onto the book. I walk past and wait for Jesse and Rye.

I take them both in an embrace and whisper "Good Luck," in their ears.

I am soon whisked into the 16 year old girls roped section by Peacekeepers. The older you are the closer you are to the stage because there is higher chance of getting reaped when you are older. After about 5 minutes all the children enter the square. I soon look around to find people I know. As I look around I see so many familiar and scared faces. As I look around I spot my friend Amethyst. She catches my eye and tries to smile but it soon turns into a frown as a tear trickles down her cheek. I mouth "It will be okay." I try to reassure her but there is no hope. Nothing can make a reaping seem better.

Amethyst and my communication is soon interrupted by the sound of heels on stage. I look up to spot Aunt Effie. As usual she is in the Capitol fashion. Even after several years of the rebellion, the outrageous fashion of the Capitol hasn't changed. Aunt Effie probably asked for District 12, to support us. Even though she can be annoying, she is very useful and supportive. She soon stands in front of the mic.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the 76th Hunger Games. We have a special video all the way from the Capitol." She says in a high-spirited tone and Capitol accent.

The video is footage of the rebellion and the amount of people that died in the rebellion. It basically explains the Hunger Games and why it has been reinstated. I tuned out for most of the footage. All I could think about was me and Rye being in the Games, fighting against each other. My thoughts are soon disrupted by Aunt Effie's voice again.

"Now it's time for the reaping. Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favour." When she says this I see she is directly looking at me. I know she doesn't want me to be reaping. "Ladies first." Classic Reaping dialogue.

Aunt Effie soon walks to the large glass bowl filled with probably thousands of slips. She puts her long fingers into the bowl. As she scavenges through all the slips, my palms get sweaty and start to shake. My heart beat increases. It feels like my heart is beating out of my chest. Soon Aunt Effie picks one slip. She then crosses the podium gently opens it up and smoothens it up before reading the name. When she sees the name, her facial expression changes into a frown. I can soon hear her fake happy tone.

"Ashlyn Mellark." She hesitates.

The name that is being blasted through the square is mine. My heart starts beating faster. I start breathing heavily. I can soon feel tears escaping my eyes and flowing down my cheek. Then there is silence. Everyone's eyes are on me. On the stage I can see Mum crying, burying her face into Dad's chest to hide herself from the cameras. The cameras. I cannot look scared. I need to show them that I am as strong as my parents. I take one deep breath to calm myself down. I make myself down to the middle of the roped areas to walk up to the stage. I am accompanied my several Peacekeepers who follow me towards the stage. On the way there I see Jesse. He has tears in his eyes too. I give him a reassuring smile and then look away so that I don't cry. I don't see Rye because his roped area is near the back. I put my shoulders back to look confident and walk up the stairs. Whilst doing so, I hear Aunt Effie's voice.

"Any volunteers?" She asks. No answer. There is no one to volunteer for me. I don't want anyone to because I don't want them to suffer because of my fate. By that time I get onto the stage and stand on the left-hand side of Effie. She places her hand on my shoulder and then moves on to the boys. Oh no. I watch as Effie moves to the glass bowl. Puts her long fingers in the bowl and after scavenging enough she finally picks a slip. She walks over to the mic, opens the slip and straightens it out before reading the name. I close my eyes and take a deep breath and anticipate the name.

"Rye Mellark." She says. It is all I hear before I fall to my knees. I bury my face into my hands. This cannot be happening. I cannot fight against my brother. I cannot see him suffer. Tears just run down my cheek. I don't even bother about the cameras anymore. All I can hear in the background is murmurs coming from the District. Obviously there would be. Both children of the Mockinjay going into the Games is not coincidental. I slowly stand up. I need to be strong for Rye. I see Rye walking towards the stage. He has a straight face. That's my brother. I know he is extremely scared but he doesn't show it. He is like me. He knows that every reaction made in front of the cameras impacts survival in those Games.

"Any volunteers?" I hear Effie say. I doubt it. No one would volunteer. I wish someone did however to save my brother. It may sound selfish but I have no choice. I watch as Rye gets closer to the stage…closer to the Games. I, again, bury my face in my hands. There is no hope. Dad was wrong. Until…

"I volunteer as tribute." Someone in the crowd says.

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys. I wonder who volunteered for Rye. Any guesses? Is it Jesse? Please review...**

 **Reviews really motivate me...so pretty please guy...review...**

 **What do you think will happen next...?**


	4. Goodbye to District 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games (if only I did).**

 **A/N: Hey guys. Where are my reviews? Seriously, I only got 1 from Xena. Please guys. I don't mind positive or negative feedback. I appreciate reviews. So please guys...all the Hunger Games lovers, follow/favourite/review. I want to know what my lovely readers think. The more reviews the quicker the update the better the quality of chapters. Pretty please guys...;)**

 **Chapter 4) Bidding Goodbye to District 12**

Who could it be? Who could volunteer for Rye? I look up towards the crowd. Suddenly I see a familiar boy running towards the stage. I see a tall, quite muscular boy, about my age with dark, hazel-coloured hair and deep, ocean-blue eyes like mine. I know I have seen him somewhere. Wait. Hazel hair. Blue eyes. One month ago. It is the same boy who saved me from being punished. The same boy I am already so grateful to. No. No. No. Why did he do that? I cannot kill him. I owe too much to him. He has done too much for me. I cannot pay him back by taking away his life. I cannot think like that. I need to win. For Rye. Anyway. There are twenty-four tributes. The odds are he will be killed by someone else. Hold on. What am I saying? How can I be so selfish?

"Wow. A District 12 volunteer. Haven't had one since the last games." She says looking at my parents. "What is your name?" She asks him. The boy saved me and I do not know his name.

"Keeth Ambertson." He replies. I have never heard his name before or seen him around the District except when he saved me. He then looks at me and gives me the same reassuring smile. I smile back. Effie then asks us to shake hands. We walk up to each other and shake each other's hand. I look into his eyes. It is full of despair. We look at each other for some time before being interrupted by Effie.

"Give it up for the District 12 tributes. Ashlyn Mellark and Keeth Ambertson." She says waiting for a round of applause. Nothing. Instead I see a left hand place their fingers on their lips and shoot up with three fingers. I look to see the owner. Jesse. He looks at me and smiles. It is soon followed by everyone in the District giving us the salute. A salute that displays pride and respect. They all support us. It brings a strange sort of warmth to my heart. That people know how you feel. I want to stay more but we are soon whisked into the Justice Building and kept in separate rooms. Time for goodbyes.

The total amount of time for farewells is 1 hour. I know my parents or Haymitch will not come because they are my mentors. I look around the tribute room. The room has two drawers and a plush red sofa. The room is filled with expensive antique pieces. It is basically a room full of luxury.

The first person to enter is Amethyst. She runs towards me and puts her arms around my shoulders, soaking my shoulder.

"Oh my gosh Ash. I am so sorry. I should have volunteered for you. I am sorry I didn't. Please forgive me. I just couldn't say anything." She says in one breath. I let go and hold her at arm length. I can see the tears scurrying down her cheek. I wipe her tears.

"Amy calm down. I wasn't expecting anything from anyone. I wouldn't want you to volunteer in the first place. It would hurt me more than going into the Games. To see you struggling and fighting for your life. Please don't hold yourself guilty. You're my friend and I want you to be safe. Okay. Now stop crying." I say quickly. She wipes her tears.

"How can you be so calm Ash? You're going into the Hunger Games." She asks. I shrug my shoulders. "You are so brave Ash. I know you can win. You are strong. You will win." She says.

"Thanks Amy." I say as I hug her. "I want to let you know that you are an amazing friend. Just be yourself." I all I manage to say before Peacekeepers drag her out of the room.

The next person in the room is Jesse.

"Ash!" He shouts. I run up to him and jump. He catches me. I burst into tears. He puts me down. "No don't cry Ash." He says while wiping my tears.

"I am scared Jay." I say.

"You're strong Ash. You know how to hunt. You can set up snares. You can use a bow and arrow and can use a spear. And a knife You have an advantage. You have so many skills and you're a fast learner. You will learn new skills quick." He says to calm me down.

"Thanks Jay. I don't know what I would do without you"

"No problem. And I am sorry I didn't volunteer for Rye."

"Don't say that Jay. I was hoping you didn't volunteer for Rye. You have a family to support Jay. They need you." I say. "Take care of Amy. She is not coping well. She needs you." I say to him.

Peacekeepers soon enter the room to drag Jesse out.

"Win for me Ash please. Win for the District. Win for Panem. I'll see you soon." He says. Win for Panem. What is that supposed to mean? At least I know he is confident that I will win. He has more confidence and faith that I have within me. That's why he is my best friend. One that I can trust more than anyone else.

The last person to see me is Rye. He runs to me and I take him in my arms.

"Ash. Ash. Please win. Please. I cannot see you die." He says.

"Rye calm down. Please."

"No. First tell me. You will win. You can hunt. You are stronger."

"Rye I'll try. I'll try to win."

"No you will win. For me."

"Rye I will win. I will win for you." I say to calm him down however I am not sure if that is true.

"Here take this." He says. Handing me something. I examine it. It is a pin. A Mockingjay pin. The golden Mockinjay with an arrow held. I have seen these in textbooks but Mum has never shown me this before. It was Mum's token in her Games and the symbol of the rebellion. "This is your token from me."

"Rye where did you get this from?" I ask.

"I found this in Mum and Dad's room. It was gift wrapped and even had your name on it. It was your birthday gift. But they didn't give it to you. When I opened it I saw this and I thought you would want it."

"Thank you so much," I say and I plant a kiss on his forehead. "Rye where are you going to be during the Games?" I ask, worried if he will live by himself.

"I'll live with Greasy Sae and her granddaughter." He says, which relieves me. Greasy Sae really takes care of our family but her granddaughter always seems to be in her own world.

Peacekeepers soon come in to take him out.

"Ash!" He exclaims. "Ash please come back."

"I will Rye, for you."

This will probably be the last time I see him again. My sweet little baby brother. I don't know what he will do without me and what I will do without him. I pin the Mockinjay pin on my yellow dress, just for Rye.

After about 5 minutes Effie comes and escorts us into a black car.

I look out of the window. I take a look at my loving District. The District that is my home. The place I grew up at. It has so many sweet memories. I watch as the meadow and the woods gets further away from me. It is slipping out of my hands just like my life will in a week's time. Many people gather to bid us goodbye. I will miss them so much. I am however soon interrupted by a tune. A tune that only I know. I had once composed my own song. I turn my head to see Keeth humming the tune. How does he know the tune? I make a mental note to ask him about it later. The journey to the train station is really short because District 12 is small. Very small.

The moment my foot touches the train station floor, I am bombarded by useless Capitol reporters, only worried about the amount of entertainment being received. The Capitol hasn't changed. It is still as useless, pointless and ruthless. People who long for entertainment via a sadistic game of killing. The thought of the sadistic Capitol and President loom in my head as I completely turn my head, ignoring the cameras.

"Do you want the Capitol people to hate you or something, sweetheart?" Uncle Haymitch say, pulling my arm. "At least smile." He says as he walks of. Heeding to Uncle Haymitch's advice I plaster a fake smile at the Capitol cameras. I can probably guess what is going on in their minds. Aww…look at that sweet little girl…is probably what they think of me right now.

After what seems like forever, Keeth and I board the train. Soon after the train starts moving, Keeth and I are seated on comfortable sofas, right opposite each other.

"You two sit right here. I will be back in just a bit." She says. Oh great. It is just Keeth and I. What do I do now?

I look back at him and just give him a light smile as that is all I could manage in this situation. The situation was incredibly awkward. I slowly get up and walk towards the door, trying my best to avoid the situation. I cannot face Keeth Ambertson. I press the button on the side of the door, causing the door to open. I am about to walk in until I hear loud sobs. Right in front of me, sits Mum and Dad, backs towards me. Both of them are crying, at the grief of me going into the Games. Uncle Haymitch sitting with them, taking another sip of alcohol. As usual. I cannot see them like this. I cannot see them so sad. They both mean everything in my life.

In no time, I feel tears flowing down my eyes. My head seems extremely heavy. I stumble back a few steps. I fumble, looking for some support. The windows, the door, the furniture seem to spin around in my head. Suddenly, I feel strong arms grip my shoulders, supporting me from my fall. The arms guide me back to my seat and pours me a glass of water. My shaking hands grip the glass and gulp the water as if it were the last drops of water left. As I put the glass, that was covering the face of whom helped me, I figure out who it was. Keeth. Why does he always help me? I owe him so much.

"Umm. Thanks a lot." I somehow make out.

"It's alright Ashlyn." He says, in his same deep voice.

We sit there in silence for some time, until Mum and Dad (our mentors other than Uncle Haymitch) enter the compartment. I spring out of my seat and throw my arms over Mum and Dad who soon put their arms around me. We soon let go and I sit down. Mum sits next to Keeth and Dad sits next to me.

"Okay. We need to get serious about these Games now. So tell me are you two good at anything like survival skills or weapons." Dad asks. "Keeth, you first."

"Umm. I am strong. I do a lot of labour. I am good with knives." He states. Wow. I don't think I want him as an enemy but with the way he is helping me so far I doubt he will be.

"Excellent." Dad praises. "You Ash." Dad asks.

"We already know she is just about average at weaponry but good at survival skills." Mum says as I recall the times I underperform in front of her. She doesn't even know I hunt. She thinks I just hang out with Jesse in the woods. It is because I don't bring the meat I hunt home.

"What." Keeth says, clearly shocked by the statement. "As far as I know, Ashlyn is an amazing hunter and excellent at weapons." States Keeth. How does he know I hunt? Has he been following me? Why did he need to tell Mum and Dad?

"How do you know this?" I question, raising my eyebrow.

"Because I have seen you bring your game and I have eaten it. I watch how you bring the game, clean, and how you aimed right for the eye. It is always a clean shot." He says. I know who I give my meat to. I don't recall giving it to him.

"Where have you eaten it?" I ask.

"Where I live." He answers smartly, however bringing on a sad expression.

"Now where is that and give a proper answer." I say, seeming clearly annoyed.

"At the orphanage." He says, with water in his eyes. And with that he runs of.

 **A/N**

 **Ash found out something about Keeth, the mystery boy. One secret down others to follow in the next chapter. You will be shocked to find out about his family's past.**

 **I update my story fast, guys, so please follow/favourite/review. I know I sound slightly desperate but I want to know that I am doing well since it is my first fanfiction...**

 ** _"Stay alive"~Haymitch_**


	5. The Journey

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games.**

 **A/N: Thanks to everyone who viewed my story. Hope you're liking it. I also hope you're happy about me updating everyday. I try my best. In this chapter you will find out Keeth's family history and I guarantee you will be shocked about who is parents are...Read on to find out...**

 **Chapter 5) The Journey**

How could I be so cruel? So heartless? I seemed really annoyed at him despite acknowledging the sadness and despair he had on his face. I need to talk to him. Instantly, I get up and run through the door, following him. He is really fast and is far ahead of me. Finally, I reach the room he entered. The door is closed but has a label on the door. "Keeth Ambertson. District 12." This is his room. I decide to knock on the door as barging in is rude. I knock about three times but no answer. Maybe he is angry at me. Well, I do deserve it. I conclude that if I need to talk to him I should just enter. I turn the door knob slowly and enter the room. The room is extremely extravagant. If I thought I lived a luxurious life, then I am wrong. In the room is a plush bed with numerous pillows and cushions. There is a bathroom at the far end of the room. Keeth placed himself on the corner of the bed. He is twiddling his thumbs and is looking down at his feet. Timidly, I walk towards the bed. Keeth doesn't seem to notice me.

"Before I was born my aunt, my Dad's sister was reaped to go into the Games. She was very young and had minmal chances. She died in the bloodbath. My uncle, my dad's brother went in the same Games as my aunt. He volunteered to protect her. As soon as my uncle saw my aunt dead in the bloodbath he committed suicide. My dad somehow managed to cope with both deaths at the time. My grandparents, from both sides, died in the bombing that happened in District 12." Keeth starts. I walk towards him and sit down next to him.

"My mum and dad survived the bombings. Mum survived along with her brother. My mum and dad in fact met in District 13 and fell in love. They got married there. 7 years after Snow was killed they moved back to 12 because apparently mum wanted to stay back and help kids whose parents died in the war and they wanted to wait for 12 to be fully built. However, as soon as Dad saw 12 he remembered his family and got a panic attack. There were no hospitals or doctors in 12 and dad died. My mum was 3 months pregnant with me at that time. I was soon born and Mum and I settled in District 12. When I was 7 years old, I started to realise that things were actually not fine. Mum was mentally unstable. One day, while dropping me off to school she started crying. I knew something wasn't fine. I didn't go school that day and decided to follow Mum. However I soon lost her, so I decided to go back home. That day was the worst day of my life. I walked in to see Mum hanging from the ceiling fan – dead." He takes a deep breath.

"It was like I had been stabbed a million times. It hurt me so much. I had no one to look after me because Mum's brother was a soldier in the rebellion and died therefore I was soon taken into the orphanage. The suicide not Mum left told me this. About what compelled her so much that she left me" He soon starts crying. "I spent the rest of my 9 years of life alone. I have no one in this world , Ashlyn. I am all alone. I have nobody." He starts crying more. I put my arm around him.

"You're wrong. You have me. Your friend." I say, trying to make him feel better. He looks up, instantly, shocked.

"No one has ever wanted me to be their friend, mainly because I stay aloof."

"Well I do. Not because you're upset. But because you truly are a genuine person." I say.

"You know, you're the first person who didn't show me any sympathy after I told them my story. Thanks for that." He says.

"That's what friends are for." I say, causing him to smile. "Your Mum was brave enough to take care of you all by herself for so many years. Who was she?" I ask, clearly curious.

"Delly Cartwright." He says. That name seems too familiar. I have heard it before.

"Oh, okay. That name seems familiar." I say flatly.

"Yeah, I heard she was friends with your dad." He says. "Anyway, come on let's go. Time to eat." Friends with Dad. I need to ask him about her. I put the braided part of my hair over my Mockinjay pin. I am in no state of mind to answer my parents' questions about the pin.

We enter the dining compartment. I have no words to describe the amount of food and delicacies placed on the mahogany table where my parents, Haymitch and Effie are already sat. Mum and Dad sit next to each other. Haymitch and Effie sit on the two ends of the table, leaving only two possible seats for me and Keeth. We sit at our seats. I sit there for some time, incredibly confused as to what to eat. I stare at the plate, until Haymitch decides to fill my bowl with lamb stew. Ohh. Mum's favourite. I don't mind it either. I dig in and after tasting I declare it to be my absolute favourite. After eating one whole bowl full I decide it is enough. I don't exactly have a large appetite.

Soon, everyone is done with their meals, we head off into the TV compartment to watch the reaping of other Districts. It is mandatory viewing but even if it wasn't I think it is good to know who your competition is. I need to know who I need to look at for and who I could easily kill. Kill? Wait. I sound so lethal. I sound so merciless. The Games have already started to change me. I don't want to change because of the Games. I don't want Aquilo to succeed. I don't want to be a puppet in the Games.

I settle in the middle of the sofa. Mum and Dad sit on the love seat as Mum rests her head on Dad's chest. Keeth takes his place next to me. Effie sits on the other side of me. Haymitch sits on a separate sofa. An avox turns the TV on as the repeat telecast of the reaping is about to begin. It starts with District 1. Careers. I know pretty much everything about the Hunger Games mainly because I take a lot of interest in history lessons and I have done a lot of research myself. As before, the careers volunteer. The District 1 boy, who looks viscous and feisty, volunteers. He has blond hair that is styled perfectly and has blue eyes. But all you can see in those eyes is anger. I believe his name is Chase. Sounds intimidating too. The girl didn't volunteer but she seems confident for the cameras but I can tell she is scared but determined. I can see it in her eyes. Her name is Glitta.

"Who do you think is a threat here?" Asks Haymitch.

"Ummm. The boy, after all he did volunteer." Keeth says.

"Ash, do you think it is only the boy?" He asks, with a certain push in his voice telling me otherwise.

"No it is both. The girl looks determined and confident. Determination will take her far." I say.

"Correct." Says Haymitch. I am glad he came along with us because so far he is the only one who is coping with the situation.

Next is District 2. The girl called Amelia volunteers. Another typical career. She looks confident and holds herself well. She is extremely big and tall and she clearly has an advantage over the rest to come. She looks determined as she has a stare down with the camera. The boy from 2 is reaped and no one volunteers in his place. He has olive skin and brown hair. He is muscular and tall. He seems like a threat. His name is Mason Hawthorne. As soon as his name is mentioned Mum starts to cry and when I look at Dad he just has a shocked expression. Who is Mason Hawthorne? His surname seems like one I have heard. I need to find out.

The District 3 tributes are really small. About 12 or 13 I think. Both tributes look too small. If they weren't reaped, I would've thought they were 10 or something. They both where glasses. The glasses look makes them look increasingly vulnerable. However the look makes them look smart. They could potentially outsmart the rest of the tributes including me. I hope they have a chance. They look so humble and sweet, they don't deserve to die. Looking at them brings a painful feeling inside me. A feeling that makes me tear up, but I stop the tears from coming. I already seem weak. I don't want to make the situation worse.

District 4 is one of the districts to look out for. Another career district. Both tributes volunteer from the district. The boy has golden colour hair and green eyes, giving him an exotic look. District 4 people have always looked really cute. I figured it out when I went to visit Aunt Annie and her son Ethan. The girl has red hair. She looks quite intimidating as she snarls at the camera. I make a mental note to keep away from all careers if I want to live as I believe the career pack is going to be large. But I do need to have a word with the District 2 boy, Mason.

I don't pay attention to the other Districts as none of them really stand out except for District 8. The boy called Jute is tall and well built. He looks incredibly strong. But what stands out is that he volunteered for his brother. I could see him running desperately to his younger brother who was about to mount on stage. It really touched my heart like how Keeth volunteered of my brother.

The District 10 and 11 female tributes seem really weak. They are both soaked in tears at their reaping as they stand on stage. They are as small as the District 3 tributes. They both look so sweet that all a person can do is love them. The District 10 one is called Mink and District 11 is called Meadow.

Finally, District 12. I don't think I am ready to watch it. I have to anyways. It is mandatory. I watch as Effie declares my name and how I walk up onto the stage with some confidence reflecting off my posture. The scene soon flashes to Claudius Templesmith and Caesar Flickerman sitting at a desk. They have been commenting on all the reaping so far.

"Another Mellark- what were the odds huh." Caesar says.

"Looks like the odds are not in the Mellark family's favour is it? At least we can she has the opportunity of making her parents proud." Claudius says. This is sickening. Killing other innocent children will not make my parents proud. My parents watching other children killing me will not make the proud.

"Indeed. But only if she has her parents' qualities. Katniss' survival skills and Peeta's gift with words." Caesar says, lightening up the mood.

"Look at her focus and confidence as she walks up the stage. Definitely a Mellark child." Claudius says. These two are actually getting on my nerves. I grab the nearest cushion available and dig my nails in violently. The anger is all poured out on the cushion. One thing that is really annoying is how quickly Caesar and Claudius change sides. First they used to be on our side, which is why they were probably saved after the rebellion but now it seems like their back to support the Games.

I somehow control my anger as it is vented on the cushion on my lap until the boy's reaping. As soon as Rye's name is called I scream, startling everyone around me. I cannot bear to even imagine Rye fighting for his life even if I know it is not happening. My family mean everything for me. I can feel strong arms around my shoulders and when I turn I find Keeth's warm smile consoling me. The camera is especially focused on my reaction as I fall to my knees and burst into tears. How they must be loving this emotional breakdown.

"The odds are not in their favour at all." Says Claudius.

"But look at the love between the brother and sister. Absolutely beautiful" Caesar says. One comment that didn't tick me off.

"But wait what's going on here." Says Claudius as we watch Keeth shouting that he volunteers. I am so grateful for him doing so. "Looks like the Mellark family have a saviour." How could I possible think that Keeth is a threat?

The telecast soon finishes with the old Panem anthem and emblem. But something is still bothering me. I turn to Keeth who is still gripping me.

"Thanks." I says to him.

"For what?" He questions, looking confused.

"For everything. For saving me from punishment. For saving my brother. And for supporting me."

"You know we are friends right. Would you say thanks to your friend?" He asks. I shake my head. No. "Exactly. Now stop crying, okay." He says, wiping my tears. He soon leaves for his room. I sit back on the sofa, casually, only to find Mum, Dad, Uncle Haymitch and Aunt Effie staring at me, each of them grinning at me. What did I do now?

Uncle Haymitch takes a sip of his alcohol and then says- "You've got a nice friend there, haven't you." He says gesturing speech marks around the word friend.

"Why are you saying it like that?" I say coping the same movement.

"Sweetheart, no reason at all." He says sarcastically. Wait. Was he implying that we are more than friends?

"H…Hold on a sec. Keeth and I are just friends in case that is what you are implying. I just spoke to him today. I don't know why he is helping us so much." I say. My cheeks feel warm. I think I am blushing.

"Whatever you say, sweetheart."

I cannot take it anymore. I jump off the sofa and make a run out off the compartment only to hear a loud chuckle coming from Haymitch. I ignore it and carry on running to my room. I place the Mockinjay pin on the side table.

I stay in my room for dinner. I just lay on bed in my Reaping day clothes thinking about me getting closer to my death. Getting closer to the Capitol. Once we get there the cameras are going to be on us. I dread to think about coping with them. I get a bit nervous in front of cameras and the proof is my previous interviews. I have had interviews because of my parents. I have hesitated so much in these interviews, it is actually unbelievable.

Another though is lingering in my mind. It is Keeth. Why is he helping me and my family? He doesn't even know me properly. I am not even sure if I can trust him or not. Whether he can be an ally or not is still confusing. I am too grateful towards him, I won't be able to kill him.

I am so engrossed in my thoughts that I start to drift off into a deep sleep. The next morning will be our arrival in the Capitol. This is where I start playing. Let the Games begin.

 **A/N**

 **So...Delly is Keeth's Mother. Shocked? One more shock is Mason Hawthorne. Recognise the surname? Well, Ashlyn will need to go into the Games with him too. Do you think he will be against Ash or with her?**

 **Do you think there is something going on between Keeth and Ashlyn? There could be...**

 **If you have any suggestions for the story/arena/allies please review the suggestions or PM me.**

 **Favourite/follow and review...thanks my fellow Hunger Games lovers**

 **Btw: Who checked out the Hunger Games Mockinjay Part 2 trailer? What do you think? I am in love with it right now.**


	6. Prep at the Capitol

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games (but I wish I did)**

 **A/N: Hey guys. Sorry I didn't post a new chapter yesterday. I went out. So here's the prep where we will meet the stylists. Read on to find out...**

 **Chapter 6) Prep in the Capitol**

I woke up early, mainly because subconsciously I knew we are getting closer. After figuring out all the buttons in the shower I take a shower and change into a blue shirt and black jeans. I come out to find everyone at the mahogany table. Breakfast. I could do with a meal. I sit myself down next to Keeth. As soon as I do so I can see in the corner of my eye I can see Haymitch eyeing me and I don't like it. I can't eat knowing that he is staring.

"Can you stop that Uncle Haymitch?" I say, furiously.

"Stop what?" He says with a chuckle. I soon realise I have nothing to say. It isn't a crime to look at someone.

"Nothing."

"Look over there." Keeth says pointing out at the window. I can see extremely tall and strangely shaped skyscrapers protruding out from the ground. The place looks highly futuristic compared to the Districts. Of course. It is the Capitol. I have been to the Capitol before back when it wasn't life-threatening. This Capitol we are arriving at is foreign to me.

"That's the Capitol." Dad says.

Our sight of the extraordinary Capitol is soon blocked as we rapidly enter the Capitol. The car is filled with darkness but soon the automatic lights turn on.

"Hurry along you two. Stand by the window. You need to get sponsors." Haymitch hurries us along to the window.

As soon as we leave the tunnel we are bombarded by extremely bright colours of the Capitol people. I can see yellows, greens, pinks, blues everywhere. There all seem exhilarated by the sight of tributes. I can see them jump and cheer for us. After all we are their entertainment. Keeth and I both wave at the crowds. Obviously, not willingly but many of those people could have heavy pockets, which could mean the difference between life and death in the arena. Keeth even blows a few kisses randomly, causing many to swoon. He surely knows how to make an impression. The show soon comes to a halt as the train does too.

"Listen you two. You are soon going to meet your prep team and stylist. Do whatever they ask you too. Don't refuse. They know what they are doing, okay." Mum says, finally taking part in mentoring. We both nod and are soon whisked of the train and into a glass building. Inside looks like a science lab, with many people with lab coats.

I take my clothes off and put on the paper robe on me. I feel extremely uncomfortable with my situation. It gets worse after three odd people come to me and introduce themselves as my prep team. Veridie, Aetius and Fabius are their names. They lie me down and get to work. I have never felt so much pain in my life as they rip off every piece of hair on my body.

"Wow. You're lucky. You don't have a lot of hair on your body, which is why it was finished quickly." Say one. I think Veridie. If this was quick I'd hate to imagine what a person with a longer session would feel.

I am then hosed down, another painful experience. I am lathered in various creams and lotions that I have never seen before. I want to refuse but I remember Mum's words. It seems like they are up to date with Capitol fashions due to their absurd dressings One has orange skin. Another has feathered eyelashes and hair. The last one has spiky hair and is covered with tattoos. My prep team are nice people but their continuous bickering is something I have to tune out for. They talk about recent Capitol parties and different clothes. Nothing I am interested in. The only experience I like what they did to my hair. My hair is washed and lathered in some lotions, which make them extremely soft. I like soft hair anyway.

My nails are painted in red and orange. Like fire. I hope they don't put us on fire like Mum and Dad. That would be cliché after all. My hair is curled and some of my hair is made into a braided crown. My prep team take a step back and take a good look at me before deciding I am now presentable to go to my stylist. I wear my robe and enter a private room. I hope I have a nice stylist is all I pray before entering the room.

I enter the room to see a man sitting on a chair drawing something. He turns to face me. He is not what I expected. He doesn't look like he is from the Capitol at all. Unlike all the absurd fashion choices made by people in the Capitol, my stylist is in a black shirt and matching pants, adorned with a gold belt. His gold eyeshadow is only the bright and bold fashion choice made, which also brings out is beautiful green eyes. Eyes that show trust and support.

"You must be Ashlyn Mellark. I am Justice. I will be your stylist." He says. He sounds nice. I was honestly expecting someone shallow and arrogant who just saw the tribute as another piece of clay to mould. This is not what I was expecting.

"Um. Hi." I say hesitantly.

"I'm sorry." He says. I immediately know what he is talking about. It is about me going into the Games. "You don't need to be worried about getting sponsors. I will make you look unforgettable. People will be lined up around the streets to sponsor you." He says.

"So to appeal to them you will beautify me." I say, angry at the Capitol citizens, so shallow that they only see outer beauty.

"You're already beautiful. I am just here to make an impression." He says, which causes me to smile. "That's what I was looking for, your smile. That will sure to appeal to people." He is really nice. At least I know I can trust him.

"You must be pretty disappointed right." I say, causing him to look up. "I mean you got District 12. There's not much to work with." I say. Even after the rebellion Districts were still not well off. District 12 was one of the poorer ones as it was before. The closer Districts had more money because it was already with them in Snow's time or they just used it very well. In District 12 there aren't many people who are exactly well off and cannot afford or don't have the time to look good and pampered. Therefore, looks wise even stylists can't help.

"I picked District 12 and I don't regret it." He says.

"Why?" I question, still not satisfied. There is a hint of shock in my tone too.

"Because, well let's just say something close to my heart prompted me to." I don't want to say anything more because I can see that the topic is too sensitive to him.

He sits me down on the chair and opens up a book. I peek into it to see designs of a Mockinjay costume. He flips the pages to right at the end but then stops and then turns, but I look away before he notices.

"Okay, here is what I got for you." He says. 10 minutes later I am dressed up and standing in front of a mirror. I am in a jet black jumpsuit with gold linings that is body sticking, emphasising my figure, which was described as perfect. The material is very soft and warm around my body and isn't uncomfortable at all. I have red and orange make-up on however, which confuses me. Justice gives me black laced boots that go with my costume. I am also given a headdress that looks like a crown but is black too. I doubt it will be seen due to my dark hair. But, will this make an impression. It is just one colour. It is just black. Nevertheless Justice made me look beautiful. When I stand in front of the mirror I cannot believe it is me. I cannot tell, which part of the person in the mirror is me and which one is the Capitol me.

"What do you think?" Asks Justice.

"I have no words. I never thought I could look this beautiful." I say, sounding completely amazed.

"This isn't it though." He says.

"What do you mean?" I question.

"Wait and watch..."

Justice didn't tell me anything about my costume so I guess I just have to trust him that I will appeal to the Capitol people.

"Ready?" He asks.

"I'm a bit nervous." I honestly say. He reaches out to me and take my hand in his. He starts rubbing the top of my hand, which really calms me down.

"You trust me right?" He asks, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah." I innocently say.

"Then trust that I will make sure you make an impression." He says. He really has a trick with words.

"Thanks, Justice." I say.

"Let's go. Your chariot awaits." He says in a posh accent making me laugh.

We soon enter the Remake Centre- the place that houses all of the chariots. Most of the tributes are already here. The chariots go in chronological order, meaning District 1 being the closest to the elevator and District 12 the furthest away. Great. I have to walk past all the tributes. I stand up straight and put on a confident and determined look on my face, to show the other tributes to not count me out.

As we walk past District 1 I can hear them snigger at me. Of course. They are so stuck up. I turn to look at them. Their costumes are outrageous but very eye-catching. It is a silver costume with every inch of it covered with silver glitter. The thought of wearing sunglasses crosses my mind. The sight of them only brings laughter, which causes the District 1 pair to give me an evil look. I stare them down to show that I am not the kind to give up until I bump into someone.

"Woah, woah, woah." He says. I turn to look at the person. Mason Hawthorne, District 2. "I knew I was good-looking, but I didn't know I was that good for a Mellark were to bump into me." He says.

"I made your day, didn't I?" I say, flipping my hair and then bursting into laughter.

"Whatever you say." He says, sarcastically. "Let me introduce myself." He says, extending his arm. I shake his as he says-"Mason Hawthorne."

"Ashlyn Mellark."

"You know you don't need to introduce yourself. Everyone knows who you are. Plus I heard that your mum and my dad were friends when my dad was living in 12." He says. I am not sure who he is talking about.

"What's your Dad's name?" I ask, curiously.

"All tributes to your chariots." I hear a voice boom through the room.

"Gale Hawthorne." He says, causing me to freeze. Now I know where I heard "Hawthorne" before. I have heard Mum and Dad talking about Gale Hawthorne calling Mum. He killed aunt Prim. I mean his bomb killed Aunt Prim.

"Ashlyn time to go." I hear Justice say as he puts his hand on my back guiding me to the District 12 chariot, but I am soon stopped by someone holding on to my wrist. I turn my head to see Mason smiling at me.

"Good luck Ashlyn and see you around." He says. What does he mean by see you around? Does he want to form an alliance? But he is a career.

I smile then put on a blank expression. I cannot seem to function after what I heard until I feel someone shake me. I finally come to, to see Keeth. He is wearing a jet black jumpsuit with gold linings just like mine. He also has the same black crown headdress.

"You alright?" He asks, clearly worried.

"Ye…yeah I'm fine." I say.

Mum and Dad see me and take me into an embrace.

"You look beautiful. As always." Dad says, kissing my on my forehead.

"Good luck you two. You will do great." Mum says.

Keeth climbs onto the chariot and offers his hand to me to get on. I take it as support and climb on. How will I stay on the moving chariot? I hope I don't fall. If I do it would be very embarrassing and not exactly appealing to the sponsors.

"Okay. Here is the button you need to press, to make your clothes special. You can choose the timing." He says handing it to Keeth. "That one will trigger both your clothes." I trust Keeth will press the button at the right time. Thank god he didn't hand the button to me or I would've ruined both our chances of gaining sponsors.

The gigantic doors soon open blinding everyone with an extremely bright light. We watch the District 1 chariot beginning to move. We will be last.

"You ready." He asks.

"I hope I don't fall." I answer, honestly.

"Don't worry if you're about to I will support you." He says, bringing a smile on my face. "You're going to need that to woo sponsors." Pointing at my smile.

"Are we going to hold hands, like my parents did?" I ask, wondering what his answer will me.

"Are we going to me allies?" He asks. "I mean do you trust me to be allies?" I nod. "So we are united." He says, taking my hand into his I look down and then straight ahead as our chariot begins to take motion. As we pass the doors, Keeth lifts my arm up along with his. We are united. Not just us. All the districts. That's what I want to show Aquilo.

I take a deep breath as I feel the chariot moving. This is it. This is what the people will think of me from now on...

 **A/N**

 **There's something strange about Justice. There's a secret he is keeping.**

 **Mason Hawthorne seems strange too but seems to be nice. Could be be allies?**

 **The next chapter is the parade...so wait to read on.**

 **I would like to read comments from my readers so please review guys.**

 **Don't forget to favourite and follow...**


	7. Tribute Parade

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger games**

 **A/N: Hey guys. Sorry about the chapter. There were some issues but they are solved and here is the fixed chapter. Thanks SibunaMockinjay for the reviews. So here's the tribute parade with a twist...**

 **Chapter 7 ) Tribute Parade**

The crowd goes wild looking at this gesture only seen at my parents' games. I begin to wave with my free and hand and Keeth does too. Many Capitol people throw roses at us so we send flying kisses in a general direction, causing there to be an uproar of people pretending to catch it. We haven't even shown them the best part of our chariot ride. I think this is the right time to trigger our costumes. I turn to look at Keeth and find him looking at me. I guess we had the same idea. I nod and he presses the button.

Within a few seconds a heap of black smoke is being released from our costume, starting from our feet. The smoke, mixed with ash, swirls around our bodies until the black smoke covers us completely, blocking our view completely. What's going on? How will this impress the sponsors? I turn to my left but I cannot see Keeth either. The smoke is blocking my view of Keeth as well. I try and listen to the crowd but nothing. Only silence. I hope we didn't disappoint them. They usually don't react when they do not like some tributes or their costume.

Soon I witness the black smoke disappearing, this time from head to toe. In a few seconds I hear the crowd cheering once more but this time even louder. What wonders has Justice done? I look down to see my costume on fire. It is an ember. It is not a yellow colour. It is dark. A dark red and orange. This explains the colour of my makeup and nails.I am not pretty. I am not beautiful. I am as radiant as the sun.I look at Keeth and he looks at me, both of us the beaming smiles. I suddenly realise that Keeth and my hands are still locked and held in the air. It hasn't moved a bit. However I don't want to let go either. It gives me a sense of security that nothing bad will happen, which is especially necessary in this situation. I stand large and tall, especially after the fire boost.

Eventually we reach the circle and our chariot comes to a stop. I believe this is when the President gives his speech. From the corner of my eye I can tell that all eyes are on us not only from the crowd but from other tributes. Good. At least they know I stand a chance. Soon the crowd starts cheering. I turn to see Aquilo taking the stand on high balcony, symbolising his power and authority. I can see his snake-like eyes watching me. He is targeting me. I know it. His presence brings a shiver down my spine. It brings me a spooky feeling. He is wearing a dark suit over a white shirt and a grey vest over it. To accompany it he wears a tie, matching pants and black shoes. In the left pocket he wears a white rose. He is definitely Snow's grandson from what I have seen in textbooks.

"Welcome tributes! Welcome to the 77th Hunger Games. There has been a slight alteration to the rules of the Games on the occasion of it being the 1st Games after the Rebellion. We are now allowing two tributes to become victors of these games if they, combined, have killed 5 tributes by the end of the Games. If they haven't only one tribute will be allowed. The choice is yours. This change is a permanent change for these Games and will not be revoked. We salute your courage and your sacrifice and we wish you a Happy Hunger Games. And may the odds be ever in your favour!" He says. This means I don't need to kill Keeth. I give a sigh of relief. I won't need to betray him. I feel a sudden jerk as our chariot beings to move again. I can see that the President's eyes lay upon mine. I don't turn away either. I fixate my eyes on him until my chariot turns around completely. I don't want to be the one to give in.

Quicker than before we reach the doors. My heart only comes to rest when the chariot comes to a stop. We are soon ambushed by my parents and others.

"That was amazing." Dad says.

"You two were unforgettable." Mum says.

"Good job." Says Haymitch and all he says.

Justice and a lady walks towards us.

"This performance certainly would've brought in tonnes of sponsors." Justice says.

"Thanks." Keeth and I say in unison, prompting us to laugh.

"Hurry up now, we need to get into the elevator." Effie says, always hurrying us to keep on schedule.

As we walk towards the elevator I can see that the District 1 and 4 tributes along with the District 2 girl, Amelia have formed an alliance without Mason. Maybe he isn't a Career or didn't make the Career Pack. As we walk past them I hear them shouting something at me.

"Oh look it is the fake girl on fire." They exclaim then they snigger. "She has no chance." Another says. I think it is the District 4 boy, Salten.

"Ignore them." I hear someone whisper in my ear. I turn to see Keeth. I do as he says and look straight ahead to show them that they don't affect me one bit.

All my mentors, our stylists and Keeth and I fill up the elevator and we are up to the 12th floor in seconds. All tributes live in the training center, which is known to be the tallest building in the Capitol. It is situated right behind the President's mansion. The only reason the training centre was intact was because it would be dangerous to demolish.

"We're lucky. Since we are District 12 we get the penthouse apartment." Effie says. She goes on about how the view is so much better. Because a lovely view will make my death seem more pleasant. I tune her out, because honestly, her comments really make me furious. It takes a lot of convincing to not shout right at her face.

Soon enough the elevator doors open. I am soon awe-struck. If I thought the train luxury was the limit I was wrong. The first thing I could see is the living room, which was probably bigger than my entire house. We begin to walk in.

"On your left is the dining room." Effie says, pointing to the dining room. It is a huge area, with a dining table in the middle of the empty space. It is a glimmering black glass dining table with contrasting white chair. It is a strange shape however. Nothing like chairs I have seen before. But the shape is intriguing. On the table are numerous dishes and delicacies. I hear them calling my name to come and taste them.

"Straight ahead is the television and the sitting area." The television is wall mounted. The wall behind the TV is light blue and the TV is black. The sofas are blue too. They are a light blue. Like the sky, without a cloud in sight. I guess this is where we will watch re-telecasts and our training scores. I could possibly get used to this place if it weren't in the Capitol and I weren't heading for my death.

"Your rooms are down the corridor to your right." Effie says, gesturing to Keeth and me. "Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch your rooms are down the corridor straight ahead. The chariot rides telecast will be repeated in an hour. I would like you all present here in half an hour for dinner." We all nod and go to our rooms.

I am astonished by my room. The room is painted a navy blue colour, which gives it a sophisticated look. I like it. The room is big, but with minimal décor. I like a spacious room. At the far end of the room is low bed with a light blue duvet. Upon entrance there is a wardrobe and a chest drawers. I walk up to it to see that it is full of clothes the Capitol has provided. On my left is an in suite bathroom. I scavenge through the clothes and decide on a green tank top and baggy trousers. I want to wear something comfortable in my last few days. It takes quite a while to wash all the make-up off but I finally get rid of the thing I despise the most. I believe in natural beauty not beauty that comes from make-up. I walk out of the bathroom, put the Mockingjay pin on to hear someone pounding their fists on my door.

"Dinner!" Effie shouts. Half an hour up already? That was quick.

At dinner I sit next to Keeth and Justice, with Mum, Dad and the other lady, who I assume is Keeth's stylist. At the ends of the table are Haymitch and Effie. Finally I get to eat. Something I was waiting for. I place a bit of everything on my plate and begin to stuff my mouth with food, causing Effie to through a fit about manners. I don't exactly care right now. I am starving and I have had a long day. I take seconds of everything too, causing me to get astonished looks from Haymitch. Soon we are done and we get ourselves comfortable on the couch to watch the parade.

I sit next to Dad and Justice. Keeth next to Justice and his stylist next to him. Mum sits next to Dad. Haymitch and Effie sit on a separate couch, seating one. An avox turns the TV on. I was shocked to see avoxes but I found out they are avoxes from before the rebellion, who survived. The tribute parade commentary is by Caeser and Claudius. Great.

I watch how the crowd cheer wildly for the first 2 Districts. I am shocked about the 1st District because their costume is very loud. District 3 is given a good response and so is District 4. The other Districts get a good response but nothing great. District 11 surprises me. They wore flower clothes. With a beautiful flower headband, necklace and bracelet. Simple but beautiful. They make a big impression and I am certain they will get sponsors.

Next appears District 12. I can see the determination in both our faces as our hands are locked. We look strong but at the same time people with hearts. Not deadly.

"Wow. They look great. A marvellous first look from District 12. These two remind me of Katniss and Peeta. Am I right?" Asks Caesar.

"Indeed but without the fire." Says Claudius.

"I don't think their stylists thought of the fire. That would've driven the crowd wild." Caesar says.

"Wait a second. Something's happening." Claudius states, indicating the smoke swirling around us.

"Well this is new, don't you think?" Caesar says.

"It looks like ash. And hold on the ash is turning into fire. Strong fire."

"Looks like we have the girl who rose from the ashes." Caesar nicknames me. Hold on. This links in with what Aquilo said. He said there is only ash. Well then I am the one who will rise from it.

I am the girl who rose from the ashes.

Mum and Dad take me in an embrace and congratulate Keeth for the outstanding performance in the chariot rides.

"Thanks Justice, for the amazing costume." I say to him. He truly deserves the praise being given. After all it is his brilliant idea of the costume. At least I know I can trust him with my clothes in the future. The short future ahead of me.

"It wasn't the costume, it was you." He says. He always tries to make me feel good about myself.

"Okay, okay. We have a busy day tomorrow. It is the first day of training. Of you go everyone. Time to sleep." Effie says. She is just like an alarm clock. As soon as it is the right time she starts ringing. Everyone gets up and walks to their room. Before Keeth leaves he walks to me.

"Goodnight, Girl who rose from the ashes."

The Girl who Rose from the Ashes...my nickname.

 **A/N**  
 **Like Ash's nickname? Took me a while to come up with that one.**  
 **The new Hunger Games twist. Two victors. And don't worry it is permanent. Who do you think Ashlyn would want to win with her?**  
 **Next chapter is training...let's see what that has for Ashlyn Mellark.**  
 **Favourite/follow and review guys.**  
 **And sorry once again guys.**


	8. Answering Questions

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games.**

 **A/N: Hey. This is just a chapter in between the parade and training which I felt I needed to add. Review guys...I am waiting for your feedback.**

 **Chapter 8) Answering Questions.**

I watch Effie head of to her room and then catch up with my parents.

"Mum, Dad." I say, causing them to turn around.

"Are you alright Ash?" Asks Dad. They have been on guard lately, considering the Games, so any sound will worry them. Worry for me.

"Yeah Dad, I just wanted to talk to you two." I say. This is the right time. I can ask them all the questions I want to. They guide me to the sofa and sit me down. They take their seat next to me. "Is this about the Games Ash?" Dad asks.

"A bit." I say. "I spoke to the boy from District 2."

"Mason Hawthorne." Mum completes.

"Yeah. He seemed really nice to me and then he told me his Dad's name, which seemed really familiar."

"G…Ga…Gale Hawthorne." She stammers.

"He said his dad and you were friends. You never told me about him. Who is he?" I ask. They don't know I already know that his bomb killed Aunt Prim. When I listen to the situation, however, I don't think it was his fault. He probably didn't know about where the bomb would be dropped.

"Umm….the thing is….that…" Mum tries to say.

"Ash, I think we should let the topic go." Dad says, supporting Mum.

"No, Peeta, she needs to know." Mum says. "G…G…Gale Hawthorne. He used to live in 12 before the rebellion. When his dad and your grandad died in a mining, we became each other's support. To provide for our families we used to go hunting in the woods. We became the best of friends. We were really close to each other. Then came the 74th Hunger Games. Prim was reaped. She was only 12 and I loved her so much. I volunteered to take her place. You know what happened in the games with your dad and I being the star-crossed lovers right?" I nod.

"When we got back, I saw Gale in the woods every week but not so often because he worked in the mines. We were close to each other still. Then came the Quarter Quell where Peeta and I went back into the games. We escaped and went to 13 for the rebellion. When we were in the Capitol silver parachutes were dropped where the District 13 medics went to treat the Capitol children. They were bombs. All the medics died. One of them was Prim, your aunt. Gale designed the bomb that killed Prim. He tried to call us and talk to me several times after he moved to 2."

"But, Mum, just because Gale designed the bomb doesn't mean he wanted to kill Aunt Prim. He probably didn't even know." I suggest.

"Ash's right. I've tried to tell you several times that I spoke to Gale myself. He didn't know about the bomb. Don't punish him for something he hasn't done" Dad says.

"But he should've been more careful. And, Peeta, he could be lying." She says.

I walk over to Mum, kneel down in front of Mum, and take her hand. "Do you trust your friendship?" Mum nods. "Has Gale ever lied to you?" Mum shakes her head. "Exactly, then trust that he isn't lying to you." Mum doesn't seem convinced. "Do you remember when I thought Jesse stole my necklace when we were in the woods and despite him saying he didn't I wouldn't believe him. When I fought with him you told me to trust my friendship and trust that your best friend wouldn't lie to you. You should do the same." I say. Mum takes me into an embrace.

"Thanks, Ashlyn. Because of you I might get my best friend back." Mum says.

After Mum lets me go, I go to my seat.

"Is that all you wanted to ask, Ash?" Dad asks.

"No Dad. I wanted to ask you something. Um…who is Delly Cartwright?" I ask.

"Delly and I were very close. She was in the same class as us. She used to go around telling everyone I was her brother. She was a very happy and friendly person, who used to smile at everyone. When we were in 13 she was the first person I saw whom I wouldn't get angry at. She tried her best to convince me of all the good things Katniss did. She has supported me a lot." Dad says, happy at the memory of Delly. "Wait. Why are you asking me about her? And where did you hear about her?" Dad asks. I need to tell him about Delly.

"Umm. I heard about her from Keeth." I answer honestly. Mum and Dad look confused. "Delly's Keeth's mother." I say, catching their shocked faces.

"But Keeth said he lives in an orphanage." Dad says. "So then Delly's dead." Dad says, with tears in his eyes. "W…when did it..h..happen?" Dad stammers.

"9 years ago. She committed suicide." I say.

"9 years ago. That's when we went to District 4 on a holiday. That's when we missed a few days of school. Wait. Why did she commit suicide?" Dad asks.

"In District 13 Delly fell in love with a District 12 guy and they got married there. After Snow was killed they didn't go home and went to other Districts to support children for 7 years. When they got back home Delly's husband had a panic attack because it was where his family died. He died straight away. Delly was pregnant with Keeth at that time. When Keeth was 7 years old Delly was found hanging from the ceiling fan dead. I think she couldn't cope with the loneliness and loss of love." I say. I look up to see Dad's eyes flowing with tears.

"But Keeth could've gone to Delly's brother, why the orphanage?"

"Delly's brother was recruited as a soldier in the rebellion war. He died there." I say.

"I am such a horrible friend. A horrible brother. I should've looked for her. I didn't even bother to look for her and I couldn't even find out if she was in the District." He mumbles to himself.

"Dad, it's not your fault. Please don't cry." I say. Dad stops crying.

"Thanks for telling me Ash."

"I found out from Keeth." I say.

"At least I don't need to worry about betraying Delly and Keeth because both of you can win." Dad says, happily.

"Ashlyn. What's that?" Mum says, pointing to my top. I look down to see the shining gold peeping from behind my dark hair. I forgot to the pin. Mum shoves my hair out of the way. "A Mockingjay pin." Mum whispers to herself.

"Yeah Mum, it's my District token." I say.

"Where did you get that from Ashlyn?" Mum questions.

"Rye." I say. "Rye gave it to me. He told me that he found it gift wrapped after my birthday and it had my name on it. But you didn't give it to me. So he took it so I can take it into the Games." I say, quickly.

"I should've known Rye took the gift." Mum says.

"Mum, Dad why did you not give me this gift, if it was for me?"

"We were going to but then after Aquilo taking over, we didn't think it would be safe for you to be wearing this pin. Please don't wear this pin in the Games Ash. It will just make you a bigger target by…you know" Dad says. I know he is talking about Aquilo.

I stand up. "I will Dad. Because this brings me strength, Dad. It brings me courage. It brings me hope. That's what you said Dad. That's what you said the other day." I say. "No matter what you say I will wear it. Because I promised Rye I will." I say.

"She's just like Katniss. Loves her family." I hear from behind me. I turn to see Haymitch with an empty glass in hand. I give him a look that says "don't ever say that again."

"But Haymitch. Please tell her to listen. That it will only put her in danger." Mum pleads.

"No, you need to listen, sweetheart. You need to accept the fact that she is just as stubborn and feisty as you, Katniss. She won't listen so just drop the matter right here." He says, completely defying my look.

"Thanks Uncle Haymitch." I say.

"Don't mention it. But first. You need to answer this question." He says. I nod. "What's going on between you and Keeth?" He says.

"Like I told you before, nothing. We are just friends. He is really nice to me, true, but that's it." I defend myself.

"Yeah, but don't you think you're incredibly close for people who are friends." He says, eyeing me.

"I'm sorry Uncle Haymitch but I have told you many times that there is nothing going on between us. But it seems like your bent on having another pair star-crossed lovers." I shout.

"Oh I never thought of that. It seems like a nice idea." He says. I stomp my foot in rage.

"What! No way. We don't need to do that. I think this alcohol has finally gone to your head." I say, snatching the glass out of his hand and smashing it onto the ground. "Besides two victors are allowed so I can just win with Keeth without doing that." I say.

"What's all this commotion?" I hear someone say in a Capitol accent. Of course. Effie. I hear her gasp. "Ashlyn Mellark. What are you doing out of your room? You should be asleep." She says with disgust.

"I am going to sleep now." I say, putting my head down and walking to my room. I hear a snigger and a turn around to see Haymitch laughing at me. I give him an evil look, while walking straight ahead, only to bump into someone.

"Sorry." I say. I look up to see Keeth, without a shirt. He looks very muscular and strong and is toned.

"You really need to watch where you're going." He points out. I really do actually. I nod in agreement. "Wow. Your face is red with anger. What's wrong?" He asks, concerned.

"Oh it's just Uncle Haymitch teasing me about…" I pause. I cannot tell him what he is teasing me about. That would be incredibly awkward.

"About?"

"Oh…um…nothing." I say, avoiding the conversation.

"You're a really bad liar." He say. Am I really an open book? He can tell everything about me.

"Yeah. Um it was about our friendship. He's like we're too close to be just friends." I admit.

"Oh, it's alright." He says. "I should keep my distance." He says as he walks away. I grab his arm.

"No. No. Please. I don't mind. It's just Uncle Haymitch. He's been teasing me about everything since I was a kid. Don't leave me. Please. I need a close friend like you." I say in one breath, hoping he doesn't walk away. Jesse comes to my mind. He is my best friend. I really miss him. The thought of him makes me tear up.

"I'm not going anywhere." He says and there is a long pause. "Hey. Don't cry. What's wrong?" He asks.

"Jesse. Jesse is my best friend. We are really close. I really miss him. I miss being his hunting partner. I miss walking with him. Whenever I see you it just reminds me of him. Since you are both my best friends." I say.

"You don't need to miss him. Because. You're going to win. You will go back home to your best friend. And so will I. We will both go home. Together. And then you will have both your best friends with you." Keeth says. His words are so comforting. Like a mother's embrace. It makes me feel better. He wipes away my tears and pulls me into an embrace. I place my hands on his bare back and feel the warmth radiating from him. His arms strongly lock around me making me feel secure and safe. I place my head on his chest. None of us pull away knowing the happy and safe feeling that we get when we hug. Finally, I give in and pull away.

"Thanks, Keeth. For always supporting me." I say.

"That's what friends are for." He says, winking at me. He turns to go to his room and I turn to go to mine.

I enter the room, walk towards the bed and sit on the edge. I am scared. Scared to sleep because of the nightmares. I cannot see Rye getting whipped or in the games. And now I have another person I care about. Keeth. I won't be able to cope to see him in the most dreaded place. I lie down on the bed, thinking about the Games. Keeth and I need to win. The thought of the Games trigger the realisation of training. Tomorrow's training day. What skills do I show-off? Which stations do I go to? Do I make allies?

Can I trust anyone?

 **A/N: Hey guys. So I might not continue this story because I don't think people are liking my writing due to the lack of reviews. I am not sure if I am engaging you or am going on the right path for my story. I will write a couple of chapters and I will decide.**

 **Next chapter is training.**

 **Follow/favourite and review guys.**

 _ **"Fire is catching. And if we burn. You burn with us." ~ Katniss (Mockingjay)**_


	9. Finding Allies

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games.** **Suzanne Collins does...the genius.**

 **A/N: Hey guys...training chapter but only the first part. Thanks SibunaMockingjay for telling me that I shouldn't discontinue. I'll think about it but the lack of comments and feedback does not motivate me.**

 **Chapter 9.) Training Day 1: Finding Allies**

Nature. How I love nature? The plants, the flowers, the trees, the wildlife. All so unique and so different from one another. I am standing amongst the most beautiful creatures and plants. I find something moving from the corner of my eye. It is a colourful creature with identical wings. It perches itself on a flower. It is a butterfly. I put my finger near the wings of the butterfly and it mounts my finger. I bring the butterfly closer to examine it. It seems so peaceful. I let it fly away. Suddenly, I hear footsteps. I am alarmed. I see a shadowy figure walking towards me. My heart beat increases. However, as soon as the figure enters the light, I take a deep breath. I look at the deep blue eyes, which give me a sense of security. I walk over to him and take his hand in mine. All of a sudden I see the hand I took burst into fiery flames. I take a step back. The raging fire spreads across his body. I look to see pain in his eyes but a smile on his face. He mouths something to me – "Don't leave me" is what he says. His eyes are locked into mine. I lock my eyes into his until his face is engulfed in flames. He doesn't even wince. He falls to the ground turning into ash. "Keeth!" I exclaim.

"Keeth." I exclaim again. I swiftly sit up. I open my eyes to see the navy blue walls of the Capitol bedroom. I burst into tears at the thought of Keeth burning because of me. I draw my knees to my chest and place my chin in between my knees. I weep and weep. Suddenly, I hear the door swing open, which causes me to jump. I see Keeth in a green shirt and trousers running towards me. I, continuously, cry. My hands begin to shake as I reach out for Keeth's hand. He places his hand in my but I soon take it away. He will burn. I know he will burn. He will go away from me. He soon takes my hand again but I repeat what I did.

"No. Don't touch me. You will burn if you touch me. Don't stay near me please, Keeth." I beg.

"Ashlyn, calm down, please. Nothing will happen to me, I promise." He tries to convince me. I shake my head as my feet begin to shake.

"No. I saw it. I took your hand and then your hand started to burn. Your whole body started to burn. Then you said that you love me as your face burned and you turned into ash. You disappeared. You left me." I say.

"It wasn't real Ashlyn. It was a nightmare. Look at me." He says, touching my chin and moving it. He's there. He's alive. "I'm right here." He says, grabbing my hand. "Look, nothing's happening. I am still here."

"It seemed so real, Keeth. I don't want to lose you. You're my best friend." I say, hugging him. I really need that sense of security. And he is my best friend. I know I barely know him from 3 to 4 days but friendship is not calculated by time but closeness and I think we are close…in fact really close. We help each other…more him that me. We support each other. And I am sure we will.

"Wait a sec, Ashlyn. You said that in your nightmare I said not to leave you. Um…what was that about?" He asks. What was that about? Why would I dream about it? I am not sure what to say. I mean I think it wasn't real. I drop eye-contact and look to my fingers.

"Well…um…" I am soon interrupted my Effie. Thank you Effie.

"What is all this noise?" Effie asks.

"Nightmare." Keeth and I say in unison.

"Oh okay." She says, seeming to understand the situation. She has probably heard stories or seen incidents about Mum and Dad's nightmares. "Okay now go get changed. We have a big, big, big day ahead of us."

Keeth is escorted to his room and I enter the shower. I press the button and lavender shampoo and conditioner is released. I lather the shampoo gently. My mind soon transports to the question Keeth asked me. We are close friends and I called him my best friend as well. I care for him. I would definitely be hurt if something were to happen to him, but whatever happened in my dream is bothering me. I am so engrossed in my thoughts that I realise I have spent quite a while in the shower. I wash off the shampoo from my hair and wash my body before I step into the dryer. Within seconds every inch of my body is dry. I wrap a towel around myself before I step out of the bathroom. Despite being dry and being the only one in the room, I fret that someone will walk into the room when I step out of the bathroom. I want to stay remote from all types of awkwardness.

When I approach the chest drawers I spot training clothes Justice designed for me, which is placed on the top of the drawers. It is a black and blue tank top and black tracksuit bottoms with the number of 12 printed in blue and bold on the sleeve and on the thigh of the trousers. The blue of the training clothes are the same colour as my eyes. And Keeth's. I put on the top and trousers. The material is soft and convenient for moving around. It feels nice against my body and brings out a strange comfort, despite it being clothes used for exerting activities. I find black and blue laced trainers by my bed. I slip my feet in and jump up and down a couple of times, just to get used to the feel of wearing the shoes. I style my hair in the signature braid of the girl on fire, effortlessly. I walk to mirror and examine myself. I look like someone ready to train for survival.

When I reach the living room, I find everyone except for the stylists seated at the dining table munching on their breakfast. I'm clearly late because the rest of them are deep into a conversation I have no idea about and I decide I don't want to find out about it either. Honestly, after my nightmare and the scene I created I don't think I am in the mood. I take my seat at the table, this time opposite Keeth. I keep my eyes down but deep down I know Keeth's eyes are fixated on me. I try to catch a glance at Keeth through my eyelashes but it fails as he catches me. I drop my gaze immediately. I don't want to face Keeth after the question he asked me of which I am unsure about.

"Finally decided to show up, sweetheart." Haymitch says. I roll my eyes at his sarcasm. He fake coughs acknowledging my rudeness.

"I'm sorry." I say, hoping that would make him feel better.

"It's okay. Now. When you go down to training make sure you hide you skills. If you find out that your really good at something leave it. We don't want people knowing your skills or advantages." Keeth and I nod. "Also, try and make allies. That means more support and cover and it will be easier to take down the careers." Haymitch says.

"But it would also mean it would be harder to kill them of at the end if Keeth and I have to win." I say, trying to avoid making allies. I don't think I have a problem in making friends but right now I want to avoid any emotional stress that could be an obstacle between Keeth and I winning.

"It's your choice but I would recommend allies. If you want to survive and not have 22 tributes hunting you two down I would suggest allies, which would mean less danger. Understood?" Haymitch says.

"Ashlyn, allies is a good idea. We would be a lot safer than if it were just us two." Keeth says. The first thing after my nightmare scene. Mum and Dad don't say anything. Haymitch is my mentor not them but I can understand how heart-breaking it must be for them to mentor me so I don't hold anything against them. I give in to Keeth and Haymitch. I hope I find trusted allies. I finish my meal soon and Effie hurries us along into the elevator. She wanted to escort us down to the training centre but Haymitch refused because he wanted people to think we are strong tributes that didn't need babysitters. However, before Effie pushes the button to go down she adjusts our hair and when she thinks we are impeccable enough for hard-core training she lets us go, finally.

I look to see Keeth twiddling his thumbs in the corner of the elevator. This is incredibly awkward. I wish Effie did come. I cannot bear the silence any longer.

"Keeth. I just wanted to say that it was a dream. I don't understand what and why it happened. I don't like this silence between us." I say, swiftly.

"I understand. I shouldn't have asked you that question. I am really sorry. We'll be normal now. Just like how we were before. Okay?" He says. To answer his question I give him a quick hug. "I'll take that as a yes." He chuckles. I feel my cheeks heat up with a flush of red. I, instinctively, let go of him and make my way to the other end of the elevator. Keeth chuckles again as he walks up to me and take me into an embrace. We stay like that until we notice that we are reaching the training centre we stand side by side and put on a determined expression.

When the elevator doors open there could be tributes present there already, even though we left early, and we want them to see us strong. Set an impression on the Careers. Show them that they aren't the only ones that have a chance of winning. However, there are only a handful of people. Maybe half of tributes. I check the time on the clock. 5 minutes to 10am. We are early so tributes would probably be coming within that time. On our way to the middle of the training centre, I spot a pair of eyes staring at me. It's Mason Hawthorne. I see him smiling at me. I give him a slight smile back. I notice that none of the Careers are present, even Amelia from District 2. Why did she leave Mason alone?

At ten o'clock mostly everyone arrives except for two Districts. Atala, who I believe is the Head Trainer, rants about latecomers and then gives us information about training. She tells us about how if we focus then even the weaker tributes stand a chance in the arena. She then stresses that we are not allowed to fight with another tribute as we'll have plenty of time for that in the arena. She reads out the list of all the stations present in the Training Centre and how not to ignore the survival stations as many tributes die from natural causes than combat. I don't worry about survival because I am already trained. We are soon released to the training stations. There is quite a bright lighting in the centre, which pleases me because a dark lighted room, gives me an eerie feeling. Moments later I observe that all the Careers have rushed off to the fighting skills and weapons. I still don't know what to do first.

Keeth and I decide to split up and go to separate stations so we get more skills and knowledge as a team and can look for more allies.

I decide to wander around the training centre until I spot something that interests me. The training centre is huge and the stations are spaced out, which means a couple of people can train at a time at the same station. As I walk I spot the District 1 boy, Chase, at the sword station, wedging his weapon through the heart of a dummy. He then turns around and gives me a blood-thirsty look that sends a chill down my spine. I then walk past the archery station to find the District 1 and 4 girl figuring out how to notch an arrow into a bow. I snigger at the thought of weak tributes but then soon I watch the District 4 girl take the arrow, notch it, draw the string and release as the arrow hits the holographic man's heart and a cannon sounds. Oh. I underestimated her but not the District 1 girl. When she fires she only hits the man's hand. _One less person to compete with,_ I think to myself. The District 4 boy is at the spears station and Amelia is at the knife throwing station.

I conclude not to go to any of those stations just yet, due to the Careers, and decide to go to the fire-making station. Something Mum and Dad didn't train me at, mainly because there was nowhere to make a fire. If it were done in the woods Rufus would've known our presence in the woods. As soon as I approach the station, I see the trainer at the station elated. I am probably the first person who showed some interest. The trainer makes me work on some flint. This is harder than I thought. After about half an hour of attempting I get frustrated. I am about to let go until I feel a pair of warm hands over mine, stopping me from giving up. The hands, constantly move, creating friction between the two materials. In no time I see a spark and the fire emerges. I feel very victorious. I turn to see who helped me to see that smile. Mason. I smile back, one at the sight of him and the second reason would be I started a fire, though with a little assistance.

"Just a little more force to create friction, and then you have your fire." He says, making it sound so simple.

I attempt myself, following his advice and in a matter of minutes I created my own fire too.

"You would think that a person nicknamed the girl who rose from the ashes would be able to create a simple flame." He says, raising his eyebrows.

"Well, I'm sorry. I wasn't pre-trained like you were," I say, raising my hands in defence.

I stand up to wander off to another station. Mason runs up to me.

"So, where we of to now?" He asks, causing me to raise my eyebrow.

"We?" I question.

"Oh yeah. I forgot to ask you. I wanted to ask you if you want to be allies." He asks.

"Um. I will have to ask my district partner, Keeth." I say, trying to buy some time. I am not sure about what Keeth would think about being allies with him, since he is trained. I don't mind him but I do have some doubt in him. Maybe being with him for a couple of days would clear my suspicion.

"Okay. Well, I am off to the ropes stations. Catch you later then." He says, before walking off. Where do I go now? I take a quick look at all the stations around me. I spot knot-tying. I could try. It could come in handy.

I approach the station to find someone present. I don't recognise the person, until they turn around. I see a small girl, dark skin and black hair. She is the sweetest girl I have seen. I see the sparkle in her eyes that display humbleness. It's Meadow from District 11. I smile at the sight of her and she sends one back at me. She crouches down again and gets back to the knot she is focused on. She turns around to spot me standing. She gently pats the spot next to her. I walk and squat and the trainer hands me a rope and demonstrates an easy knot. I get through the easy and intermediate knots and get up to the harder ones. I struggle at one of them.

"You need to make another loop to finish it off." She advices. I do as she says and it is successful. I thank her and she smiles in return. "By the way, my name is.."

"Meadow." I complete. "I can never forget that beautiful smile." I say. "Don't ever let that fade." I soon realise that it will fade. We are going into the Hunger Games. We are going to fight to kill each other.

"Thanks. And you're Ashlyn." She says. "I remembered you because of the reaping. I saw the way you love your brother more than your life. It reminded me of my brother." She says, with a tear appearing from her eye. I wipe the tear of her face. This innocent and harmless girl will be sent into an arena to fight for her life but those cruel Capitol people still have no sympathy for her. They are heartless people. People with no emotions and no feelings. I don't understand what they achieve by doing this. To see us struggle. To see us suffer and then die.

"You got any allies?" I ask. If I have to make allies I would want her. She is sweet and after watching her for half an hour I can conclude that she has some skills. She comes from 11 she knows all the plants to eat. She will be pretty resourceful. But that is not the reason I want her. It is because I want to help her as much as I can in the Games and maybe she could help me. And I am pretty sure Keeth will not have an issue with her. I wonder if he found some people to ally with too. I don't want to ally with many people because it would be harder to leave them but I don't want to get Haymitch upset, after all other than Mum and Dad he is my mentor and whatever he advises would have some significance. After all he has a lot of experience and had a hand in getting my parents to survive two Games.

"Nope other than my district partner." She replies.

"Me too and maybe the boy from 2. So do you want to be my ally?" I ask.

"Yeah. But the boy from 2. Isn't he a Career?" She enquires.

"I don't exactly know but from what I can tell he is not in the Career Pack and he seems nicer than them. Plus it is not confirmed. I haven't asked Keeth yet." I answer.

"Oh okay. I wouldn't mind being allies with you." She says. "Can my district partner, Durian, be allies too? I am sure he wouldn't object."

"Yeah sure." And with that I walk off.

Looking at the numerous stations I get confused. I see Keeth at the fire building station. The Careers still at the same station as they were at the start. From what I can see I am guessing the Careers have a certain skill that is their best and I guess they focus on that. Probably to intimidate the others. I look around until I spot the edible plants and insects station. I see that the girl from District 8 is already there. I join her and begin looking at all the poisonous plants. I already covered this at home but I don't want to go over to the combat section when it is already occupied by the Careers. The District 8 girl doesn't say anything to me but I can see she is staring at me. I feel quite uncomfortable by her stare. Finally she speaks.

"You put on quite a show out there yesterday." She says. "You're lucky you got a nice stylist to get you sponsors. My stylist is stupid. We looked ridiculous."

"Thanks." I see, giving a faint smile.

"But if you think about it, whatever happens outside the arena doesn't impact what happens in the arena. Someone could've put on an amazing show but be the first to die." She says, giving me a wicked smile. She leans in closer and puts her mouth near me ear and whispers. "Better watch your back ash girl." I freeze as she walks off with a snigger.

 **A/N**

 **Ashlyn's in trouble. She already made an enemy. Also we can see her making an alliance with Mason and Meadow.**

 **So guys...waiting for your feedback. PM or review.**

 **Next chapter will be up soon.**


	10. Close to Death

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games...I wish I did though.**

 **A/N: Some shoutouts to my reviewers. Thanks ruthrose for your review. I like that you're liking the story. Also thanks to NathaliaEverdeen for your praises. And finally, to my most frequent reviewer...SibunaMockingjay...thanks for your words of encouragement and advice...you've truly convinced me to carry on writing and not get dejected. Thanks to my lovely readers and reviewers. Wow...I wrote a long authors note. Sorry guys. Here's the 2nd part of the 1st training day...enjoy guys...**

 **Chapter 10.) Training Day 1: Close to Death**

Why is the District 8 girl targeting me? Her words linger in my head. I guess with two allies I have made an enemy, other than the Careers. The lunch bell drags me out of my thoughts.

I enter the dining hall to find District 1, 4 and Amelia at a table. The Career table. I guess Mason wasn't lying. He wasn't sitting at the table. I soon spot Keeth at the end of the line to get lunch. I run up to him.

"Found any allies?" I ask.

"Yeah, the boy from 11, Durian, and the pair from 10, Mink and Angus. Durian wants his district partner in the alliance too." He says, causing me to laugh at the irony. "What? Did you not like them?"

"Yeah I mean I haven't met the 10 pair but they seemed nice. The thing is I formed an alliance with the District 11 girl, Meadow, and she told me that she wants Durian too. That's why. It is really ironic." I say.

"Wow. You actually tried. After your rant in the morning I thought you would refuse." He says.

"I have another ally too." I say, slightly quietly. I don't know how Keeth will react.

"Who?" He asks.

"Um. The District 2 boy. Mason Hawthorne." I say.

"What," he says in shock. "You got a Career. You cannot trust them."

"No, he's not in the Career Pack. And from what I have seen and heard he is a nice person. Talk to him. If you can trust him we will have him. Don't worry I didn't tell him it was confirmed." Keeth nods and we head over to a table.

We are soon joined by District 11 and 10. The girls in both Districts are small. Maybe 12 or 13. Their District partners are older. Maybe 17 or 18. Durian is dark skinned and has short black hair. Angus is pale and has brown hair. They both smile. Durian is quite silent from what I can tell as he tries his best to answer in minimal amount of words. Meadow tells me that he has always been like this and it is his personality.

The District 10 girl, Mink, is sweet and bubbly and a chatterbox. I find out that Meadow and Mink are both 13 years old. Mink is also dark-skinned and has black hair. She looks very similar to Meadow. Angus is also a chatterbox and is witty as he keeps cracking jokes when we all get a bit serious about the fate of most of us in the Games. I cannot believe how well Mink and Angus are holding themselves in this situation. I have broken down several times and can barely laugh. The 6 of us talk a lot as though we are friends for years. I like to know that I have friends in a cruel place like this.

After a while I notice Mason sitting by himself at a table. I beckon him over to our table, causing the others to murmur in shock of a Career in our alliance. When Mason takes a seat opposite me Angus asks him questions about why he is not in the Career Pack and why he is with us.

"I was pre-trained in 2. They train you physically and mentally. Physically to make you stronger and mentally so that you can kill someone without a second doubt. I am really strong and have a lot of skills but they failed to train me mentally. I don't have the heart to kill someone. I am a Career physically but I am one of you mentally." He says, convincingly. Everyone seems to trust him. It was easier than I thought. I take a look at Keeth but I see some doubt. I need to ask him about that.

"But how were you pre-trained if we only found out about the Games a month ago?" I ask.

"Because the training academies were still open after the rebellion and it would be part of curriculum. Then there were extra classes that were paid by us. My dad sent me there because there were no woods in 2 and he wanted me to be strong and skilful like he was when he was a child." He says, which clears my confusion.

The rest of lunch carries on talking about individual districts and life there before the Hunger Games were announced. I found out that their Districts too have been in tight control of Peacekeepers. Not just 12. Aquilo wants to keep the Districts under his watchful eye. There are a few laughs here and there but soon lunch ends.

All the tributes soon disperse back to the stations, with the Careers staying in the combat section but changing weapons. I decide to go off to the knife throwing section because no one's there. I have some experience with knives and I am not that bad. I approach the section pick up some knives and stand at the throwing line. There's a dummy right in front of me. I don't want to go into the chamber with holographic targets so I decide on the static one. I place the knife between my fingers, stand in a stable position, stretch my arm out by my side, aim and flick my wrist to release. I watch as the knife hits the chest but the right. Close. I repeat several times, each time getting closer to the heart. I use the last knife of the size I want and throw it. It hits the heart.

"Wow. And I thought I was good." I hear someone say behind me. I turn to see Mason.

"Yeah. I had some practice." I say with a wink. I can't say I hunt even after the Peacekeeper incident or I may get into a lot of trouble.

I walk towards the dummy and pull the knives out one by one. It takes some time and I am about to head back when I hear someone shout.

"Ashlyn! Duck!" Mason exclaims, running towards me. I freeze at the urgency of his voice. I take a look behind him to see Chase from District 1 with a knife in hand about to release it, aiming it in my direction. In the next moment I see Chase release the knife. My joints don't move. This is the end. I die before the Games. I watch the piece of metal fly towards me as I close my eyes. Suddenly, I feel someone jump on me, causing me to fall backwards and therefore dodging the knife. I feel some weight on top of me. I open my eyes to see Mason's gleaming smile and pearl-white teeth above me. Mason Hawthorne saved me.

"You need to watch where you're going." He mocks, tucking a strand of hair behind me ear.

"Shut up. This was not my fault." I say in defence. "Now get off of me." He gets up and then offers his hand to me too. I take it and stand up. I see that most of the tributes have gathered around there and Keeth comes running towards me.

"You alright? What happened?" He asks in concern.

"I went to collect my knives and then Chase threw a knife in my direction. But I am fine thanks to Mason. He pushed me out of the way just in time." I say. Keeth smiles at Mason. We walk towards the other tributes to see Atala there too. She enquires about what happened and then concludes that Chase broke the training rule and is therefore not allowed in training tomorrow. One less Career in training, which means one less occupied station.

Training is soon over and we head to the elevator. Mason, Mink, Angus, Durian, Meadow, Keeth and I enter the same elevator. As soon as the elevator doors close we burst into laughter at the thought of a punished Career. Mason gets more involved in the conversation now that everyone is displaying more trust and acceptance after he saved my life. Even from Keeth. Soon the elevator starts to get empty and after the 11th floor it's just Keeth and I.

"Do you trust him now?" I ask, referring to Mason. Keeth doesn't say anything. "He saved my life Keeth. Why would he do that if he didn't want to ally with us? It would've been one less person for him if he weren't trustworthy and didn't want to ally."

"Ashlyn, I trust him. He is our ally along with 10 and 11 okay?" I nod. I give him a quick hug and then let go.

The elevator door opens, Mum and Dad hug Keeth and me and Effie hurries us to our rooms to change.

I enter the room, scavenge through my chest drawers and pick out a pink short-sleeved top and black baggy trousers, which allow me to move around in comfort. I check to see that my Mockingjay pin still lies on the side table next to my bed. I let it be there and make my way to the dining room.

At dinner our stylists are not present because they are busy with coming up with our interview clothes. Everyone else is present and already deep in conversation. Soon Haymitch decides to involve Keeth and I.

"So, have you two made any allies because some mentors have approached me about alliances." He says.

"Yeah. District 10 and 11 – both of them." Keeth says. "And…um…" Keeth tries to carry on.

"The boy from 2 – Mason." I complete.

"A Career." Haymitch says with wide eyes. "Wow. Are you that good?" He says.

"No. He says he isn't like most careers, like people who don't have a heart." I say.

"Can you trust him?" Haymitch asks.

"Yeah. Mason saved Ashlyn's life when Chase threw a knife at her." Keeth says.

"First day of training and you're already a target. I guess this is some sort of new record. You must be a threat." Haymitch says, congratulating me.

"Haymitch this isn't a matter of happiness. She could've been killed. Plus the more enemies, the more chance of dying." Mum says.

"Katniss. You've been through two Games. You should know that even if you're not enemies people will target you because after all it is the Hunger Games. You only win when the others die." Haymitch says, causing Mum to have no response.

"And about allies. The 10, 11 and 2 mentor approached me but the District 2 mentor, Enaboria, was reluctant. Of course she was. She was a Career and would want her tributes to be in the Pa." Haymitch says. "So should I say yes to them?" Keeth and I nod, absolutely sure about our alliance.

Dinner is over without another word and we are sent to our rooms. I am absolutely exhausted after training and almost facing death and I plop myself on my bed. I reach out for the Mockingjay pin. I stroke the pin, thinking about how much strength this one pin brought to the people of Panem. How this one pin became the symbol of the rebellion. This pin represents hope. It could be the hope that Dad was talking about. Maybe the hope can be revived and Aquilo could be taken down. The thoughts in my head don't leave. My mind will not be at peace until I talk to someone about his. I jump out of bed and run into the living room, hoping that someone would be awake. When I enter I see Uncle Haymitch sitting on the chair taking another sip of alcohol.

"Don't you think you're past you bedtime?" He says, sarcastically. I give a fake smile before running to the seat next to him.

"Uncle Haymitch, I need to talk to you about a rebellion." I whisper, knowing that the apartment will be bugged.

"Wow. You're ambitious." Haymitch says.

"I mean, about reviving hope in the people to stand up against…" I don't need to complete my sentence because I am sure Haymitch would understand.

"Ashlyn, I knew you're just like your mother." I roll my eyes. "She wanted to get rid of it too. She didn't want innocent people to die. She has that fire that she passed on to you. I can see it in your eyes. And about what you want to do. Just remember there is a right time for everything. And let me tell you the right time is not now. It will soon come however. Just play the Games on your own terms and make it out alive – as Victor." He says, before taking another sip of alcohol and walking off.

His words ring in my head.

I know what I need to do. Ignite hope in the people of Panem and make sure that I win the Games to continue to revive the hope.

 ** _"_** ** _Just play the Games on your own terms and make it out alive – as Victor."_**

 **A/N**

 **Liked the chapter? Well we can see that Ashlyn and Keeth have formed an alliance with 5 other people. Looks like we have the anti-Careers. Which character do you like the most and which one the least?**

 **What do you think about Ashlyn thinking about another Rebellion? I know for sure there won't be a Rebellion however because I am planning a sequel for a rebellion.**

 **Follow, favourite and review...(most importantly review). If I get a lot of reviews I won't discontinue...so guys...review!**


	11. Drifting Away

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games but I wish I did ;)**

 **A/N: Yay we got to 10 reviews finally after 10 chapters. A special thanks to all my dear readers and reviewers. Here's training day 2...read and enjoy...**

 **Chapter 11) Training Day 2 : Drifting Away**

I enter the training centre to see it is empty apart from all my allies with their backs to me. A sense of bliss and happiness flows through me at the sight of them. I walk up to them. Simultaneously, they all turn around and my heart sinks. I chill runs through my spine as I stare into the deep red eyes of my allies. The red eyes look directly into mine. They start to move, forming a circle around me. None of them look away for a moment. Then, they all reach for something behind their back. I see a glint of metal and I know it is a weapon. A knife. They take a stance, put the knife between their fingers, aim at me and release. I hear a roar of laughter escape for the mouths of my allies as the 6 knives make their way towards me. I let out an ear-piercing scream.

I jolt upright and after feeling the soft duvet covers clenched in my hands I realise it was a nightmare. But it seemed so real. I feel water trickle down my cheek, which I assume is sweat but could be tears. I wipe them but there is no point because more arrive. I watch my arms and legs shake as I reach for my Mockingjay pin. I gently stroke the edges of the pin. The touch of the pin calms me down so much. I keep repeating, in my head, "It was just a nightmare. It was not real." This eventually sinks in my heart and my arms and legs stop shaking.

I feel relieved I didn't scream because if I did I would draw attention to myself and after yesterday's scene between Keeth and me, I don't want to face it again. I enter the shower, not bothered about how early I am, and spend a good forty five minutes washing and daydreaming. Daydreaming about friends in District 12 and all the fun times we have had. Jesse and Amethyst are present in most of the memories. They are, truly, close to my heart and they are a part of me. Without them I am incomplete and I am not sure how I would survive. Actually, rethinking about the most recent events, Keeth can also be added to the list. He has proven that he is also part of my life and a part of me. Someone I care about. And if I win the Games, I would want to win with him. No. Not win – survive. Because no one wins the Games because winning means honour and there is no honour in killing.

I dress into my training costume, which I honestly adore because of the comfort level. A piece of material I would love to wear while hunting. When I get out of my room, I see the living room deserted apart for a couple of avoxes standing around. I pour a glass of water in a glass and make my way to the sofa.

However on my way there I stumble over a chair and drop the glass, causing it to shatter into a million pieces. Almost like my heart when I heard Rye get reaped. An avox comes, picking up the pieces. Guiltily, I assist her, picking up the pieces I dropped. I don't want her to tidy up if I am the one who messed it up in the first place. I see her shake her head when I try to help. I look into her green eyes and see fear. I stand up. Why is she scared? Maybe because of me. I shouldn't have helped her. She is probably going to get into trouble because I tried to do her work. I apologise and she seems to understand why as she nods in acknowledgement.

Haymitch is the first one to wake up and meet me in the living room. Haymitch displays a shocked expression to see me awake and dressed first, considering my late arrival the day before.

I am deep in thought about my allies, especially Keeth. If they get hurt in the arena I don't know what I will do. I cannot see any of them hurt. I know them only for a day but I do know that they are innocent and sweet and do not deserve to die or suffer. What about Keeth? I want to win with Keeth. I need to win with Keeth. I have said he is my best friend, equivalent to Jesse and I cannot lose another friend – a person I care about a lot. Especially since he has saved me and has supported me despite not knowing each other for long.

"Thinking about the boy?" Haymitch brings me out of my thoughts. I nod.

"I just hope that nothing happens to him. I don't want him to get hurt in the arena. I don't want to lose him. I care about him too much." I say to Haymitch. I don't know why but I have always been a lot more comfortable talking to Haymitch despite his unpleasant and bitter attitude he displays at time. However he has never shown any bitterness to me. It is like he has a soft spot for me because he only talks to me nicely. He puts his hand on my shoulder.

"You won't lose him though because you two can win together."

"We saying that doesn't mean we will win. There are other tributes in the Games who also want to win. I'm scared. Our lives will be in danger. He could be in trouble in the Games or be attacked by another tribute." I say. "I need to protect him, Uncle. I need to make sure that he is safe in the Games. Because he deserves to win. He has only faced loneliness and sadness in his life. I want him to live his life happily. I will do whatever it takes to help him."

"Ashlyn. Please don't worry. You need to be strong. If you care about him then don't show him that you're scared because it will just affect him. Make him scared. Make him worried. If you worry like this in the arena, it will only affect your life. You will be more vulnerable and more in danger." I nod. "And don't worry I'll make sure that you two come out of the arena. No matter what I need to do." He says, which brings a new ray of hope in me. I smile.

As soon as Haymitch stops talking Keeth walks into the room. I hope he didn't hear the conversation. Within an hour everyone manages to wake up, get dressed and make their way to breakfast.

Breakfast is considerably filled with chatter. I do listen for a change and do get involved.

"Okay. Now what did you do in training yesterday?" Dad asks, for a change.

"I focused on survival skills like fires, knot tying and edible plants. I did try knife throwing but not for long." I say, recalling the knife incident. "I am planning on going on to the combat stations"

"Good. Focus on combat today." Dad says. "How about you Keeth?" Dad asks.

"I did fire building, sickles, snares and fishing." He completed a lot yesterday.

"Okay, so I think you need to check out your skills on other combat skills today and if you have time, some survival skills. Focus on edible plants because that will come in handy in the arena." Dad advises. I think Haymitch has been given a break because Dad seems to be handling mentoring today and he is handling the mentoring very well, considering it is his first time doing this.

It is soon 10 o'clock and we make our way down to the Training Centre. Keeth is surprisingly silent in the elevator, which makes our ride very awkward. I am getting a feeling that he is avoiding me.

As soon as we reach there, I make my way over to the knife – throwing station to spend more time on my skill. I wrap the knife sheath around my waist for easy access. I throw all fifteen knives from my sheath at the target circle and get bull's eye every time. The trainer thinks that I am able enough to move onto moving targets. He shows me how to operate the control panel. I select the knife size and challenge level. I pick the intermediate level as I don't think I am good enough yet. The glass doors close behind me as I tighten the sheath around my waist and stand in the middle of the chamber. I position myself so that I am able to view all the corners of the chamber from which my holographic enemies can appear from. In the corner of my eye I can see one approaching me. I draw a knife from my sheath, aim and instantly release the knife, which lodges itself in the heart of the man and he disappears. More men appear from four corners and I repeatedly draw the knife, aim and through as it lodges itself on the arm, heart, head and leg, causing all for to disappear. This process becomes one I am now accustomed to as I take down another eight. I wipe of the sweat from my brow and when I look up I spot a holographic man extremely close to me. I draw a knife and stab the knife in the heart and it disappears. The lights brighten and I realise that I am done.

When I turn around I spot Mason, Meadow and the District 8 girl watching me – awe-struck. The District 8 girl is snarling at me as I leave the chamber but before I leave I walk up to her.

"Watch your back." I say, but I soon realise how vicious I sounded when I threatened her. I don't want to be like her or like the other Careers. I need to be myself. I need to be humble and nice and keep myself like that, at least until the Games begin.

Mason congratulates me and then walks off. Meadow sticks around and asks me for a knife-throwing lesson. I explain to her the technique and give her tips and she manages to hit the red section on a target circle. Elated she runs off to find Durian and show him her new skill. I haven't seen a sweeter and innocent girl before. She brings a smile on my face, something that Rye always does. Every move he makes always used to make me laugh. Meadow is just the same. I am glad I am able to teach her something. Just like an older sibling would.

I realise that the Careers are least bothered about my skills and I was fretting about it for no reason and, in fact, I could've gone to the combat stations yesterday. Some of the Careers have moved onto the ropes course and obstacle course. One Career is at the axe station. I doubt the Careers will go to the survival stations. They have been taught to stay at the Cornucopia, where they can have access to all the food and weapons they need so I doubt they would think survival skills are necessary.

I spot the archery station empty and head over there. I greet the trainer, who is about to explain what to do but I refuse because I know what I am doing. I wrap a sheath over my shoulder, around my back, pick a silver bow from the several bows laid on the table. The feel of the metal bow is different from the wooden one I am so used to at home but I need to get accustomed to it if I have to survive. I grip onto the bow, pull out an arrow from the sheath, load the bow and pull the string to my chin. I rest my chin on my hand so I can be at eye-level with the tip of the arrow. I close one eye to get better aim. I soon release and watch the arrow pierce the middle of the target – bull's eye. I soon load and release the arrows repeatedly, with all of the arrows hitting the middle of the target.

The trainer, clearly impressed, leads me into the chamber like the one in the knife throwing station. I choose the hard level and load my bow ready for the first holographic assailant. The first one is above ground running from one pillar to another. I pull the string, aim and release with the arrow hitting the chest. It disappears. I constantly load and release, causing many holograms to come and go. The holograms move a lot faster and come out more frequently, so I increase my pace of loading and firing. Eventually I kill 20 holograms and I walk out of the chamber. I see Keeth practising archery at the target circle. He is extremely good too. He hits bull's eye every time.

"Hey. How did you learn archery?" I ask him.

"Um hi." He drops his gaze. "At the orphanage. There would be activities night every week and there was a bow and arrow. I started practising and eventually the owner said I could keep them because I was the only one using them. I practised at the tree in the garden of the orphanage." He says. "Unlike you, I'm not good at everything."

"Um. I am not good with axes." I say.

"I guess I could teach you that." He says, guiding me to the axe station.

He hands me an axe, which I examine for a couple of seconds. He shows me how to hold the axe before releasing and how to aim. After a couple of tries I finally realise that throwing axes is not my thing. Even though I did hit it close to the middle, using an axe just doesn't feel right. I look to see Keeth staring at the axe he is holding with tears welling up.

"Keeth are you alright?" I ask, concerned. He drops his gaze.

I take him into an embrace, feeling like he needs the support right now. But he doesn't return the hug. He just stands that straight. I pull away and look at him to find him staring at his shoes.

"Um. Well. Um. I'm going to go." He mutters quickly and awkwardly. He rushes off to the other side of the Training Centre. What's wrong with him? He just acted as if we are strangers. He usually returns my hugs but he didn't right now. He's acting as if he is avoiding me. Why would he avoid me? Did I do anything wrong?

After training is over we enter the elevator alone – just Keeth and I. Keeth is silent and just staring at his shoes. It is really odd. This doesn't seem like Keeth. He was fine yesterday and seemed alright this morning. What happened? Why is he avoiding me?

"Keeth. Um. Are you alright?" I ask.

"Mhm." He hums. Not using any words at all.

"Keeth, please. What's wrong?" I ask again. The elevator doors open and he rushes off to his room. I run past Effie, Mum and Dad, completely ignoring them. "Keeth, please talk to me."

"Ashlyn please leave me alone." He says before closing the door on my face. I feel a single tear flowing down my cheek.

Keeth didn't talk to me. He just ignored me. Told me to leave him alone. I can see it now. Keeth has started to leave me already. He is drifting away from me. I am losing my best friend. I am losing Keeth.

 **A/N**

 **Sorry for all the Keeth and Ashlyn lovers but Keeth is drifting away from Ashlyn and is avoiding her. Sorry guys but you will find out why in a couple of chapters. Don't hate me.**

 **Follow/Favourite/Review...most importantly review.**


	12. No More Than A Stranger

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games. If only I was Suzanne Collins.**

 **A/N: Thanks to all my dear reviewers. 14 reviews...I am so delighted. Thanks to SibunaMockingjay I have a ship name for Keeth and Ashlyn - Kashlyth. If you call Ashlyn Ash then we have for you Kash. 3rd and last day of training...read and enjoy...**

 **Chapter 12)** **Training Day 3 - No more than a stranger**

A nightmare. Another nightmare I wake up from. I have been getting nightmares every night. I dread them. I dread sleeping now. I bury my face in the palm of my hands only to see my nightmare again. Today's nightmare was one of the worst nightmares I have had. It was of Keeth. Keeth and I were talking and then all of a sudden he turns around, avoiding me. When I turn him back to face me his eyes are red. Red with the thirst of blood. He has an axe in his hand. He gently rubs the edge of the axe and then lodges it in my stomach. That's when I woke up. Now I know how Mum feels everytime I hear her screaming after a nightmare. I have learnt to control my reactions after a nightmare, especially after when Keeth came in two days before.

I urge myself to get out of bed, shower and put on my fresh training clothes on. I have second thoughts about going into the dining room because I don't want to face Keeth. I know he has been avoiding me and watching him do so brings tears to my eyes. I take a deep breath and walk out of my room to find Keeth, Haymitch, Mum and Dad already seated devouring their breakfast. I take my seat opposite Keeth and next to Dad. Keeth looks at his plate the whole time and doesn't even bother to look up when I arrive. I fill my plate with oatmeal and fruits and begin to eat but I keep my eyes on Keeth. Maybe he would look up. Mum clears his throat and begins to speak.

"Have you two talked about what you're going to do in the arena? I mean where you and your allies will meet up and whether you will go to the Cornucopia. Because you need to ask your mentors before you confirm it." She says. Keeth shrugs, making no attempt to talk.

"We can talk about it now." I say. Silence. Silence is all I get from Keeth. He doesn't want to talk to me. That's why he isn't reacting. "What do you think we should do?" I ask, trying to urge him to talk. Nothing. Again. Anger rages through my blood now. We are about to be thrown into an arena where we need to fight for our lives in a couple of days and he decides to ignore and avoid me. Does he not realise how it affects me? I throw my spoon into the bowl of oatmeal, causing it to splatter across the table, including Dad's face. If I weren't angry I'd probably be on the floor laughing. Lucky Effie's not here. I push my chair back and stand in anger. "FINE THEN, DON'T TALK TO ME!" I exclaim. I feel tears on my cheek and I don't bother to wipe them. I run towards the elevator. "I'm going training early." I say and get into the elevator, not bothered to wait for all the reactions. When I get into the elevator I wipe my tears. I don't even know how early I am to training but I just want to get away from everyone.

When the elevator doors open I expect no one to be there but I could hear a sound of a weapon being pierced into a dummy. I look at the clock to see it is 9:43 am. I notice that Atala and the Gamemakers aren't here either, leaving the balcony empty. I tiptoe to where I think is the source of the sound. I walk around to see Chase at the knife throwing station. I capture the violent look on his face and his smirk when the knife lodges itself in the heart of the dummy. I silently walk towards him and eventually he realises my presence.

"Look who's here. The Mellark." He states.

"I am here right in front of you. Is that an issue?" He walks towards me.

"I don't have an issue with people like you." I furrow my brow. "People small and defenceless."

"No I'm not." I walk back as he walks forward.

"See. You're frightened. Poor thing." He says, which forces me to stop moving. I stand still. "Don't be scared of me. The tears will ruin this beautiful face of yours. And we wouldn't want that would we." He says, reaching for my cheek. He caresses my cheek, which brings a sense of disgust in me but I don't react. I am strong.

"Don't you dare touch her." I hear a firm and strong but familiar voice.

"Oh look. If it isn't your lover." My lover? Does he mean Keeth? I don't turn around, I keep my eyes glaring at Chase.

Everything happens quickly after that. I watch as Chase is pushes against the wall by the neck. By Keeth. I watch as Chase's is face is flushed with a shade of pale pink. If I don't stop Keeth now, Chase will be injured or even dead.

"Keeth. Stop. Let him go." I plead as I run towards him, trying to pry his hands from his neck.

"No, he deserves this." He says.

"Keeth please stop. For me, please." I say as his grip on Chase loosens. Chases stands for a while trying to catch his breath. Lucky that none of the Gamemakers or Atala was here to see this or Keeth would've been in trouble. I grip Keeth shoulders so he faces me. "Keeth. What do you think you were doing?" I ask.

"I don't know. He was annoying you so I felt he deserved a punishment." He says. I hug him.

"Thanks Keeth. Thanks for helping me." I say. He pulls me away from him.

"You don't need to thank me. I would've done that for a stranger if I had to." He says as he walks over to the elevator to wait for other tributes, I suppose. Am I no more than a stranger to him? Is that what's left between us? We have truly drifted apart. No matter how Keeth views me – a stranger or a friend – I will protect him in the arena and make sure that us two are the survivors and are the ones who go back home. Because no matter how Keeth treats me I know he deserves a life better than before. Even in this new cruel world I know that home and loved ones bring the upmost happiness and will do the same with Keeth. Also I owe him at least this much after all he has done for me.

Soon enough the Gamemakers, Atala and tributes arrive and the last day of training begins. I make my way over to the spear throwing station. I have practiced spear throwing before so it doesn't take me long to hit bull's eye. I don't spend long at the spear-throwing station because I notice Chase and his district partner Glitta watching me. I don't want them know about my skills. I don't even think they know about by knife and archery skills because Chase wasn't allowed in training yesterday and Glitta wasn't near the combat stations.

Next I decide to join Mink at the climbing station. It is a rocky, mountain terrain on which we have to climb, without harness because it will not be provided in the arena. When I arrive, Mink is already halfway up. My jaw drops as I watch Mink speed up to the top of the mountain. She sits on the ledge and admires the sense of superiority for a couple of minutes before making her way down to the bottom. The trainer praises her and calls her a natural climber.

"Mink. That was amazing. You are really talented. This is a skill you could show the Gamemakers." I advise.

"Yeah. I was thinking about that. Thanks Ashlyn. I am also good at throwing darts and knives." She says. I am shocked. I didn't know she was so skill full.

"First of all call me Ash. All my close friends call me that." I say. The fact that I said close friends caused Mink to smile. "And that's great. Show everyone else that just because you're 13 doesn't mean you're weak. Show them that you have a chance of winning." She smiles broadly. Mink and Meadow are like the sisters I never had but wished I did. They are so sweet that everyone has to love them.

It took me a while to master rock climbing, especially without a harness but I managed to complete it before lunch.

During lunch I sit next to Meadow and Mason. I was trying to avoid Keeth but he ended up sitting opposite me. My attempts will be futile in the future anyway because we are in the same alliance so I need to get used to it. Anyway I need to protect him and for that I need him to be near me at all times.

When I look at Keeth all I can remember is whatever happened yesterday. Tears start forming in my eyes so I look down so no one sees but I am too late. Mason takes my hand and rubs it soothingly, which calms me a lot. He then squeezes my hand.

"What's wrong?" He asks in a whisper. I take a look at Keeth before saying "Nothing."

"It's Keeth isn't it?" He asks. I nod.

"Something's going on. He's avoiding me and I am not sure why."

"Maybe he isn't who he tries to be. Maybe he was just using you." He says, which brings a feeling of shock as I wouldn't imagine anyone saying this about Keeth.

"No way. It's something else. Keeth would never ever do that to me. I am certain of it." I say but Mason says nothing after it. How could he even say anything about Keeth? Maybe Mason was just looking out for me.

Training is soon over. Dinner is silent especially after the scene created at breakfast. I supress the urge to cry several times until I cannot help it.

"Ash. Why you crying?" Dad asks in concern.

"Nothing." I sniffled.

"Don't lie Ash. Tell me." Dad says.

"Ask Keeth." Is all I say before I run to my room.

An hour later I hear a knock on my door.

"Go away." I shout.

"Ash dear. It's Dad. Open up."

"No dad. I want to be alone."

"Okay dear. Just remember this. Things are not always what they seem." And with that there is silence.

What is that supposed to mean? _Things are not always what they seem_ I think. Why would I need to know that?

I lay down on my bed for some time thinking about what Dad said. It doesn't really matter because we are soon going into the Games and hopefully if Keeth and I somehow survive things will be better. At least that's what I keep telling myself. Hold on. The Games. They are in two days. After the private sessions and the interviews. The facts just strike me. Training is over.

Tomorrow I have to try and get a good training score. What do I even show them? I know that I can use three weapons, four if you include axe throwing. During training I went to most of the survival skills stations but one I didn't go to is the camouflage stations but I guess I am good at painting so if I need the skill in the Games I can figure it out. But what do I show the Gamemakers? I have some skills but I am not sure if they will be good enough. Whether it will secure my future and my life? Will it be enough for me to live?

 **A/N**

 **Kash/ Kashlyth are drifting apart! :( Aww...I feel so upset. Next chapter is the private sessions...**

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	13. In The Spotlight

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games...but if I did I would be the happiest person ever.**

 **A/N: Hey guys. Sorry for the short chapter. I am going to go on holiday so I was a bit busy. Thanks to all my reviewers...private sessions chapter...read and enjoy!**

 **Chapter 14) In the Spotlight**

Today I woke up slightly late and had to be woken up by Haymitch, who decided to storm into my room and pour a freezing cold cup of water all over me, with a remark from him saying "Now you don't need to shower." I laugh at the thought of my thinking that Haymitch has changed. But no. He is himself. The bitter but supportive self. I change into my training clothes and make my way to the dining room. Everyone is present except for my stylists. I just realise that I haven't seen them since the parade. I take a seat next to Mum, with Dad next to Keeth. Haymitch and Effie at the ends of the table.

"So what are you planning to show the Gamemakers?" Mum asks. I shrug and so does Keeth.

"Great." Haymitch says. "Just great. You need to show the Gamemakers something in case you didn't know. You know. Combat. Survival. At this rate you two can say goodbye to District 12 and your life."

"Haymitch." Mum replies.

"Katniss they need to know the truth." Haymitch convinces. "So do you understand the importance of this or not?" We nod. "Good. Now off you go. You will have a lot of time to think downstairs. You two will be the last ones called. ."

"Good luck." They all say in unison.

Keeth and I make our way to the dining hall to find us being the last one there. The District 1 boy is in his session already when we get there. We find our allies at our usual table and we make our way over there. There are a couple of comments here and there about Keeth and I being fashionably late. Once we laugh at the remark we start talking about what we are going to present to the Gamemakers. Mason is planning to show his variation in combat skills and so is Angus. Durian will show him his strength and his spear skills. Mink is planning to climb and go through the ropes course since she is so talented in that field accompanied with some dart throwing. Meadow is planning to show her knife throwing, plant knowledge and knots. Keeth says he will do the same as Mason. When all eyes are on me, I put my head down in shame and admit I still haven't decided.

"What. Ash. You have so many skills. Archery, knife throwing, spears." Mink says.

"Show them what you're good at." Mason says and Angus and Durian agree with him. I nod to end the topic. The District 1 girl, Glitta is called in.

"Okay now down to the Games. What are we going to do in the bloodbath?" Asks Durian.

"Do we fight or retreat?" I ask.

"We need supplies with an alliance like ours." Says Angus.

"How about we go in the Cornucopia in pairs?" I suggest. Everyone looks confused. "So one person runs in to pick up supplies while the other one covers them and warns them about any threats. For example assume Meadow and I are paired. Meadow goes into the Cornucopia while I stand next to her to protect her and warn her about other tributes. She will then hand me any packs and weapons I could use or need to hold that we could use as protection and will run to the edge of the Cornucopia. But if we see any of you in trouble we will go to help." There are many agreements and a lot of questions.

"Who will the pairs be?" Asks Mason.

"One person small and unexpected and one strong." Angus says. "So Mink and Mason. Meadow and Durian. Ashlyn and Keeth." I take a look at Keeth who just puts his head down.

"What about you?" I ask.

"I'll try and get what I can and then cover one of you." We all agreed.

"And say your partner is not near you at the start or you can't find then during the bloodbath join a pair and go into the Cornucopia with them. If you cannot find them then just run to the edge of the Cornucopia and wait." Durian suggests. We all nod.

There is light chatter until Mason is called in. We wish him luck and then carry on with our conversation. It is mainly about our family and friends and life in our districts. As the dining hall empties the room starts to get silent. Angus, Mink and Durian are called in soon, leaving Meadow, Keeth and I. Meadow somehow keeps the conversation going but eventually her attempt fails as Keeth doesn't talk to me that much. As soon as it is Meadow's turn, Keeth and I are left with the eerie silence. Everything about the Tribute Centre is scary or it is just the mere concept of the Hunger Games that is frightening. With Keeth's silence I am left with my own thoughts. I still haven't decided what I am going to show. Knife-throwing? Spears? Archery? My thoughts are interrupted when Keeth is called in for his session. He gets out of his seat and makes his way to the door but doesn't turn back. I need to say something to me or it would just be in my mind before I get called.

"Good luck, Keeth. Show them what you're made of." I say. He stops walking and turns around with a faint smile, so faint that you can barely see it.

"Thanks. And good luck to you too." He says. He turns to walk to the doors but then turns back to me again. "Ashlyn. Show them. Show them that you're not in their dark shadow." He advises and then walks off.

The silence really beats me as I sit in the hall all alone. I am only supported by the rhythmic beats of my tapping feet. I keep glancing at the giant clock and watch the seconds hand move. I closely watch the minutes pass. 5 minutes. 10 minutes. 15 minutes. 20 minutes. 25 minutes. Keeth is taking a lot of time in there. I hope he is doing well though. 30 minutes later I am beckoned in. I stand up, take a deep breath and confidently enter the well-lighted training centre. The loud bang of the closing door startle me and I jump but I soon compose myself. I see all the Gamemakers seated in plush velvet chairs and sofas and a vast variety of cuisine and wines. Each Gamemaker has stuffed their plates and filled their glasses and are happily chattering amongst themselves. Except for the Head Gamemaker who has worn his velvet robe. Peregrine Underwood. Except for him no one else notices my arrival.

"Ashlyn Mellark. District 12." I shout, which grabs everyone's attention.

I make my away over to the weapons stations. I pick up a bow and a sheath of 10 arrows. I stand at the line in front of the target circle. I load and fire quickly with all of the arrows hitting the middle of the circle. I drop the bow and pick up 5 spears. I take my stance and throw all 5 spears with only 2 missing the centre. I pick up the knife sheath, flick my wrist and fire. Most of the knives hit dead centre. I look back up at the Gamemakers who seem pleased at my performance but not impressed. I decide to show-off my survival skills and take the edible plants test. I struggle at a couple but the rest of the questions are easy. I get 83%, which is not my best but I guess the pressure is getting to my head. After displaying my various skills the Gamemakers don't seem impressed. I am about to say by thank you but I remember what Keeth told me.

 _Show them that you're not in their dark shadow._ What does that mean? Show them I am brighter? Show them I have light on me? Show them I'm in the spotlight. That's what I need to do. I pick up my bow and arrow, knife sheath and spears and make my way over to the end of the training centre. I look up at the light bulbs that head from the farther end to where I stand. It is in one straight line right in front of me. There are 7 including the one above me. I pick up my bow, load the bow, aim and fire and it hits the bulb at the farthest end. I watch as the light goes off. I change my weapon to a spear and hit the next bulb. Then change to a knife and it the next bulb. I watch as the lights begin to go off as the lights are taken down my weapons. I have taken down 6 bulbs and then look at the Gamemakers whose jaws have dropped. I look at the training room. There is only one light. One streak of light being showered. Showered on me. I have escaped the dark shadow of the Capitol. The dark shadow of Aquilo. The dark shadow of the Games. I am in the light. I am in the spotlight.

I take a bow and say "Thank you for your consideration." A line Mum used in her private sessions. I scurry across the now dark room and enter the elevator alone. When I reach the 12th floor I am attacked with questions. How did it go? Were they impressed? What did you do? When I explain what I have done I get a worried look from Mum, a satisfied look from Dad and a pat on the back and a chuckle from Haymitch. I get a shouting and gasp from Effie who goes on about how the shattered bulb would've caused a terrible mess in the Training centre. That's Effie being Effie.

"At least you made them pay," Haymitch says and after a long pause, "for the lights." I laugh at his remark and make my way to my room. I pick out a navy blue tank top, which matches my room, and comfortable baggy trousers from my drawers. Instantly I look out for my bed as my legs cannot take my weight any longer. I jump onto the bed and relax for some time. Thoughts about Keeth go through my head. I wonder what he showed the Gamemakers. I hope it would get him a good score. All the thoughts and questions stress me out, so I reach out for my Mockingjay pin for comfort on my side table. When I look I find an envelope under my pin. I lift up the envelope, which has my name printed in beautiful cursive handwriting. I open the envelope and take out the folded piece of paper and begin to read.

 _Dear Ashlyn Mellark,_

 _I know you have no knowledge about my identity but this information that has been written in this letter is classified and valuable. The arena in the 77_ _th_ _Hunger Games has been designed to be a forest, similar to the one in the 74_ _th_ _Hunger Games. There is a lake and stream in the arena but other than that the arena is full of shrubs, bushes and trees. The lake is near the Cornucopia. The stream is in the direction the tail of the Cornucopia is facing. The stream can be used as a water source, so it is advised that you head into the direction during the Games as there is no other water source. There are other ponds in the arena but they will be acidic and fatal._

 _This information is a valuable piece for survival. I would recommend you follow the advice given in this letter because it would mean survival. Do not tell anyone about this letter and the information enclosed and keep this letter out of anyone's reach. Good luck._

 _From, PU – Anonymous._

 ** _A/N_**

 ** _I wonder who the letter is from. Sorry for not letting my lovely readers know but there is no fun in knowing straight away. Is there?_**

 ** _Next chapter is training scores...good luck to Kashlyth_**

 _ **Follow/Favourite/Review...review...review...review...review...review**_


	14. Training Scores

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games but if I did I would be the happiest person in the world.**

 **A/N: Sorry guys for the late update. I am going to go on holiday so I didn't have a chance to post. Sorry once again. Thanks to all my reviewers and followers. Here is the training scores…read…enjoy!**

 **Chapter 14) Training Scores**

Who could've sent me this letter? I don't think this is true. Why would anyone tell me about the arena in advance? What would they gain from this? I ponder about trusting the person. If I believe the person and whatever they said is false, it could cost my life. But if it is true it can save my life. What do I do? I need to talk about this to someone. I know I am not allowed to but since when have I been following rules. But before I do that I need to hide this letter. I get out of bed and pace around the room, observing every corner of the room to find a place to keep the paper out of anyone's sight. Even the open door was an option.

Everywhere I look there is no place that is hidden or enclosed. That is until I glance up. That's when it hits me. I know where to hide. The ceiling fan. At least on top of the blade of the fan. I drag the stool from in front of the dressing table to under the fan. I mount the stool but find out I cannot reach the top of the fan. I tip toe clumsily and somehow manage to reach. I feel my feet tip toe all over the surface of the stool. Then my toes are placed on the edge of the stool and I realise I have lost my footing as I slip off the stool. I close my eyes and wait for the impact. Wait for any sounds of a spine cracking or my skull cracking open.

Instead I feel strong arm grip me under my back and under the bend of my knees. In alarm and fear of falling I wrap my arms around the neck of my rescuer. I keep my eyes firmly closed in fright. I take a couple of deep breaths before I muster up the courage to open my eyes. My eyes flutter open and I see a face right in front of me. Our faces are so close that our noses are inches apart. As the black spots in front of my eyes disappear I lock my eyes with the blue eyes in front of me. The deep, ocean blue eyes of Keeth Ambertson. I look into his eyes as they look at mine. His eyes only show care and compassion. No anger, no hatred towards me. I look at the smile forming on his face as he stares at me. Soon, he starts to lean into me. Oh God. He is going to kiss me. Do I want this? He is inches away until he stops. His smile disappears and he pulls away. He puts me down and runs away. I stand in the same spot for some time, confused. What stopped him? Whatever just happened proves one thing – he still cares about me no matter what he says or does. But we just had a moment. Something best friends don't have. I am not sure whether I want this. Whether I want Keeth more than a friend.

My thoughts are disrupted by Effie calling for dinner. Dinner is awfully quiet with Keeth and I not talking and Mum and Dad clearly disturbed by the Games, with only Haymitch and Effie trying to keep up the chatter. I respond and laugh occasionally but that's all I can do. My thoughts are stopping me from doing everything. My thoughts about Keeth. After dinner is over we all make our way over to the couch to waych our training scores being revealed.

I sit in the corner on the sofa, next to Haymitch, which I regret because he has a large bottle of liquor in hand and the smell is making its way up my nostrils. I don't want to complain because I know Haymitch will not listen and pass a remark, which I don't want to hear. Keeth sits next to Effie who sits next to Haymitch. Mum and Dad sit on a separate couch.

The training scores telecast begins with the Panem anthem and emblem and then a small speech from the very energetic and perky Caesar Flickerman. Caesar does get on my nerves with the pro Hunger Games statements but he is very helpful and supportive with the people he interviews, not making it hard to ace it. The headshots of tributes from the chariot rides start to appear one by one along with their training score. The first one is Chase. He got a 10. Glitta got a 7, which was expected. I watched her during training and she wasn't exactly impressive. I think she will be the lowest scoring Career this time. Next Mason's headshot appears, with the same mischievous but beaming smile. He gets a 10. I clap and then realise Keeth is doing so too. Amelia gets a 9. The District 3 pair, Fuse and Dayta, get a 6 and 4 respectively. Their innocent faces show despair that probably never existed before Aquilo took power. They seem 13 years of age and children that young should be playing, not bothering about having to murder and hurt for survival. All these thoughts bring fury in me but I calm myself down and watch the District 4 pair get 8s. Looking at their scores I make a mental note to stay away from the Careers, at least in the bloodbath.

District 5, 6 and 7 get scores between 4 and 7. The District 8 boy gets an 8, which is very shocking because I could only see him at the survival skills station throughout training. His name is Jute. The threatening District 8 girl gets a 7. I would laugh at her face if she were in front of me. I found out now that her name is Paige. A name that seems so innocent but in reality she is the opposite. During the telecast Mum, Dad and Haymitch advise us on who to watch out for or who isn't a threat, temporarily. The District 9 pair do well, scoring 8s each, despite the boy's young age. He could be underestimated but not by me. Then Angus' face appears on screen. I am not shocked when I see a 9 under his picture. Next up is Mink's sweet face beaming with a smile. She gets an 8. I am so happy that I think about jumping up and clapping but I want to wait for Meadow's score. Durian gets a 10 and Meadow gets an….8. I literally jump out of my seat and scream. I'm so happy for the two lovable girls. They deserve the scores they were given because they are so talented. I sit back down when I see Keeth's face. I quiet down and watch intently. The number spins around for some time and when it finally comes into focus the number makes me jump and dance. 11. He got an eleven. The highest score out of all the tributes. Keeth's grinning at his score but isn't reacting like me. I'm impressed. I sit down again and watch my picture. I take the cushion from behind me and bury my face in it as I pray that I get a decent score. With what I have done I am not sure what I'll get because I didn't look at the Gamemakers to see their reaction. I know they would've been shocked but will shocked get a high score. I lift my face from the cushion and see the big and bold, golden 11 taking up the space on the screen. Keeth and I are congratulated by everyone.

"Wow. District 12, the highest scorers." Squeals Effie.

"Well done." Says Mum.

"I knew you could do it." Dad says.

"Great. Now you two have a bigger target on your backs." Haymitch remarks.

"What do you mean?" Keeth asks.

"A higher score means that you're stronger and then the other tributes would want to take you out first." Haymitch explains.

"What did you do in your session Keeth?" Dad asks. Keeth looks around and then replies that he just showed some combat skills. No one seems convinced by his response but doesn't bother to question him any further.

"Your allies seem to have gotten more than 8. They must be strong. I hope you can trust them. They can be a threat." Mum says.

"Mum we can trust them. I have spent a couple of days with them and I am sure that they are trustworthy." I convince.

"Katniss, sometimes trusting even a stranger is the best option." Haymitch says, looking at me. Trusting a stranger. Is he trying to tell me something? Trust a stranger. The letter. The letter was written by a stranger so is Haymitch secretely referring to it. That I should believe it. I could be wrong. Not everything Haymitch says has a deeper meaning. But then again, if I do follow what's in the letter I cannot lose anything. And if it is true then lives are extended for some time.

"Okay so tomorrow are the interviews. You will be coached by Effie about manners and posture and the rest of us about the actual interview." Mum says.

"You two will need to decide whether you want to be coached together or separately." Dad says.

I turn to look at Keeth. "Separate." I say. I know Keeth would want that too so I don't want to upset or disappoint him by saying that I want to be coached together.

"Is that what you want, Keeth?" Dad asks. Keeth looks around for a while.

"Um. Um. Yeah. Separate." Keeth stammers before walking off.

Effie sends us of to our rooms to sleep. When I enter the room I spot the letter on my bed and realise that I haven't hidden it yet. After glancing all around the room I decide to place it in my chest drawers, tucked in between all my clothing. I hope no one looks through the Capitol provided clothing. If they do then I am in trouble along with whoever sent me the letter. I approach my bed to lie down. While stroking my Mockingjay pin I doze off to sleep.

The serene and peaceful woods of 12. I am standing by the glistening water of the lake in 12. The sun is shining happily over me. I take a seat at the edge of the river putting my feet into the cool water. It brings a calm sensation through me. All of a sudden the sun disappears and the sky turns into a sinister black. I can barely see anything. I stand up and turn around in a panic. From the corner of my eye I see something glowing white. I turn to see Aquilo with the same French beard and snake-like eyes, which are now red. I can see him approaching me but I freeze. My legs have been forced into paralysis as I watch him extend his arm. Then he applies some force as he pushed me back. I fall into the river with my limbs frozen. I cannot swim my way out. I am drowning. I am trapped.

I jolt upright into a sitting position and clutch the bed sheets around me. I begin to take short and small and frequent breaths in distress. I bury my hands in my face before I realise that my throat is dry. I reach my hand out to my side table and pick up the jug to see that it is empty. I groan as I get out of bed and wearily walk out of my room. I fill up my jug with water and I am about to head back when I hear Mum's voice. She is shouting Dad's name. I need to find out what happened. A tense feeling takes over as I approach Mum and Dad's room. The shouting and screaming gets louder as I approach. Subsequently my tension. I place my ear on the door to listen.

"Peeta. How can you be so calm? Our daughter's going into those Games. She could die. Do you not see that?" Mum yells at Dad.

"Katniss. Do you think I don't love Ashlyn? That I don't care. Well, guess what I'm scared too. I care about Ashlyn just as much as you do and I know that there is chance that she could but we shouldn't think about that now." Dad begins shouting but then stops and transforms back into his calm and comforting self.

"We'll need to think about it sometime Peeta." Mum says.

"I know Katniss but I know that Ashlyn will make it out. She'll come back to us Katniss. She will be here with us in two weeks. We will be able to hug her and take her in our arms." Dad says, choking. He's crying. "After all she is just like you." Dad convinces.

"That's the problem. She's just like me. She is stubborn. She gets angry really easy at times. If she does that then she will be in trouble, Peeta. She will be in danger." There is a long pause. "She won't be able to handle it. The deaths. They stay with you forever. The nightmares. They are unbearable. I don't want my daughter to go through the same." Mum cries. "It's all my fault. My life, my past. It has come back for revenge but it is hurting my daughter. It is all my fault Peeta. All mine." I cannot take it anymore. I cannot hear them be so upset. I fling the door open to see Mum's face buried in Dad's chest while Dad stokes her fair gently and speaks words in her ear. They are standing up.

"Mum. Dad." I say, which causes them to turn to me. "Please don't cry." I say, running up to them and bringing them into a hug. "I don't want to see you sad." I say. "Mum it's not your fault. It's not your fault you were brave. That you freed people. You gave people the better." I reassure. "And Dad. I will come back to you. I will be able to hug you. I will be able to talk to you. Don't be scared." I say. They don't say anything back. This is the best I can do for them before I break down myself. Listening to what Mum and Dad were saying, I realised that I am taking the situation better. But now I am feeling like the Games have truly affected me. Because they have now affected my parents and my parents are everything to me. After an extreme breakdown I run to my room and lie on the bed, with a constant flow of tears. I might never see my parents ever again. If I die in these Games, I will never see Rye again. I will never see his dazzling grey eyes. That cheeky and mischievous smile. I may never see Jesse again. I will never spend those times with him in the woods.

I may never see anyone again.

 **A/N**

 **Sorry for the short chapter guys. The next chapter is the interviews. Wonder what will happen ;). I may not be able to post a chapter for a while because I am going on holiday tomorrow. And for one of my reviewers…I am a girl.**

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	15. Reunited

Chapter 15) Reunited

 **A/N: Hey guys. Back from my holidays and I am really sorry for not posting a new chapter for a month. There was internet problems and I honestly didn't have the time to write. I feel really bad, which is why I wrote a long chapter for my lovely readers and let's just say that Kashlyth lovers will love this chapter and the one after...so enjoy!**

"Help!" I scream as I jolt up, out of my restless sleep. I run my hands through my hair as I take a look around the room before, finally, calming down. Once again, my sleep was tormented by frightening nightmares. A nightmare of darkness chasing me, while I run away trying to stay in the light and ending with me being devoured by the shadow. I rub my face and check the time. 7am. Mum and Dad told me to be at breakfast by 9. Last night I remember lying down on Mum's lap in their room and I think I dozed off there too. I take a quick glimpse of the room. This is my room. Or my Capitol room. Dad probably carried me in here after I slept, after all he still has the strength despite his prosthetic leg. For an hour I just sit on my bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about all the lovely memories from the old District 12. The free District 12. The time when I tried to bake for the first time but ended up with flour all over myself and Dad. Mum's anger is unforgettable because after scolding us for 30 seconds, she burst out into a fit of laughter, following us. Another memory of maybe two years ago is still fresh in my mind when Rye went around telling everyone that Jesse and I are a couple as revenge for telling Mum about his slipping grades at school. I was so embarrassed and equally angry. But now that I think about it, I'd rather be in that situation than the one I am in now. My thoughts are interrupted by Effie's violent knocking on my door. I check the time. 8:30. I must have been daydreaming for a while, but to be honest I wish I could stay in those dreams forever. I force myself out of bed, enter the shower and then change into denim blue shorts and a pink top. I brush my hair, leaving it loose. When I enter the dining room, I see that I am the last one there. Meals nowadays are awfully silent except for the ones down in the training centre where I can talk to my allies.

Once breakfast is over Haymitch, Mum and Dad guide Keeth into his bedroom, leaving me alone with perky Effie. I sigh, knowing that this 4 hour session will not go quickly. I attempt to sit on the couch elegantly with a straight back, crossed legs and hands on my lap. It takes time to get used to the hands on my lap thing but eventually I do. Next we work on manners. That wouldn't be a problem as long as I am not angry. I manage fine with my pleases and thank you's. Effie, who was pleased by my progress so far, now teaches me how to walk in heels. She brings out a pair of sparkling silver shoes that look like Capitol torturing devices and asks me to wear them. Wearing them is not the issue. Walking in them was. Effie holding onto my hand attempts to support me as I stumble around the room. After a lot of falling and tumbling I manage to walk somewhat decently in them. When I look up I see Keeth in the corridor smiling but as soon as he notices me looking he turns it into a scowl. Something is truly going on. He is hiding something from me and I need to find out what. I realise that the 4 hour session is over and I am to go into my room to meet my mentors.

I wander over to my room sluggishly as all my energy has been drained out by Effie. I walk into the room irritated and agitated to find Mum, Dad and Haymitch sitting on the couch in my room. I walk over and sit opposite them looking at the floor. Mum senses my irritation and begins to speak.

"Let me guess. Effie." She says. I nod.

"I mean seriously. Who cares about if I keep my hands on my lap or on my side?" I question.

"I ask myself the same question everytime I go through a session with Effie." Mum laughs.

"And the heels. I mean I have worn heels before but those ones look like torture devices." I point out.

"Can't believe you survived." Mocks Haymitch. I hear Dad chuckle quietly. I give him a look saying stop. He does.

"Okay, now down to business." Dad starts. "In your interview you will need to present yourself in a certain way that will make an impression and help gain sponsors. An angle. Like feisty. Or innocent and sweet. Or intimidating."

"Can I not just be myself?" I ask.

"You can do that." Haymitch says, causing me to smile. "If you don't want to live." He says. My happiness and relief fall in one shot. What is Haymitch trying to say?

"Why not?"

"You're just like your mother." He says. Here we go again. "She has a temper just like you do and we don't want that to be seen do we?" I shake my head. No. "And it is not like she played herself in her interviews."

"Fine. So what should I be?"

"A sweet and lovable person." Dad suggests. "That always gains sponsors."

"So basically being myself." I say, which is not always true. Haymitch rolls his eyes. "I can work with that."

"Let's ask some sample questions then." Mum says. "What do you think of the Capitol?"

"Well, when I saw the Capitol on the train I was speechless. It is extraordinary. The building are breathtakingly tall and the people here are just as humble." I bite my lip at that point. "I must say it is a place I would want to live in. Of course along with my loved ones." I say.

"Does it feel any different to have two Victors that are your parents?" Haymitch asks.

"To be honest I don't see them as victors because to me they are my Mum and Dad and that's the first thing I see in them. I love them very much and I can do anything for them, so I guess there is no difference except being in the limelight a lot and doing these interviews, which I can proudly say that I am improving at."

"Good. Now, how did you feel when your brother, Rye's name was reaped?"

"Devastated. I love my brother more than my life so hearing his name at the reaping really affected me." We go on with many questions ranging from life in District 12 to friends and family to Capitol life to Games strategies. I answer confidently and almost instantly for all these questions, gaining praise from my mentors. However one question caused me to stumble.

"Okay. So what is your equation with Keeth Ambertson?" Haymitch asks.

"Um. Well." What do I even say? No matter how much I convince myself I know we are not friends by the way he is acting. I can't even force myself to say that we are friends.

"Go on Ash." Haymitch pushes. I do not answer. "Ash. I know it's hard but you need to try."

"Um. We are best friends. In the small amount of time I know him we have become closer and are able to understand each other." I say. Haymitch ends the session and I stay in the room pacing around with nervousness of the interview, fretting about whether I will be able to answer all the questions and get the Capitol people to love me.

I finally stop pacing when Veridie, Aetius and Fabius burst into the room with loud chatter, which I assume is about a Capitol party in honour of the Games starting again. That's sick. Absolutely sick. I can't believe someone would actually attend one of those cruel parties. I am about to scream my head off when I hear that my three 'shallow' stylists didn't attend the party because they didn't like the reason for it. I totally misunderstood them. They have earned respect in my eyes. They greet me and I greet them back happily and kindly. They deserve this much kindness and respect from me. They sit me down in front of the mirror and begin my transformation into the fake, Capitol Ashlyn. My body is lathered in several creams, foundation, light blush and concealer. My nails are painted with a fire ombre – red to yellow. The same is done with my eye shadow. My hair is done in a high bun with the front pieces of my hair curled in ringlets that flow out on the sides of my face. Pieces of my hair are braided around the braid to look like a band or crown around the bun.

Once my hair is done Justice enters the room. Safety runs through me as soon as Justice's warm and comforting eyes meet mine. It doesn't take me a second to take Justice into an embrace saying that I'm scared and you're my only hope.

"Someone's happy to see me." Justice laughs. I let go, embarrassed. My cheeks heat up and I think are transforming into a deep red.

"Sorry." I apologise innocently. "So what wonders have you done today?"

"Well. We don't want to ruin the surprise, now do we?" He says.

Justice asks me to close my eyes while he helps me into my interview dress. I keep my eyes shut as he adjusts the dress, I believe adding pins to adjust the fitting. As soon as I open my eyes, I am awe-struck. I am in a floor-length dress that is tight and body clinging from the top until the waist where the fine material flows out to above my ankles. The dress has a tail cut with the thin material flowing down to the floor from the back but cut to above my ankles from the front. I have only one sleeve on the left side. The dress starts out with a black colour from the bottom of the dress and then gradually turns into flames print spiralling around me until the top of the dress which is completely covered in flame prints. There is a gold belt at my waist to give the dress an eye-catching look, although in my opinion it was not necessary. I look mesmerising and exquisite. The fire dress shows my power and strength. It shows that the fire is rising from the ashes. It fits with my nickname like a jigsaw.

I feel Justice's hands on my shoulders as he stands behind me looking through the mirror.

"You definitely look like the girl who rose from the ashes." He comments.

"Thanks Justice. Really. I mean it. This beautiful dress will help me a lot. At least people will like something about my interview." I admit, sadly.

"Hey. Don't say that. What's the problem?" He asks. I turn to face him.

"It's just that I am meant to be a sweet and lovable and praise the Capitol. I don't think I will be able to lie or pull this off." I admit.

"Look Ashlyn. Sometimes being yourself is the best way to get through things even though others don't think so." He suggests. He's right. No one will be able to stop me saying what I want out on stage. I can do what I want. And I will do what I want. I am not a Capitol lover. I am Ashlyn Mellark. I take him into another embrace to say 'thank you' and to give myself support. He pats my back reassuringly. He hands me my shoes, which annoyingly turn out to be flats. What a waste of a couple of hours, I think. Justice puts his hand on my back and escorts me to the elevator where I go downstairs, backstage.

All the tributes are already present talking to their allies. I find my group of allies in the corner. Mink is in a dark, royal purple dress covered in jewels, shimmering in the light. Angus is in a dark purple suit and white shirt. Meadow is in a yellow laced dress that just highlights are beauty and innocence. Durian is in a dark green suit. Mason is in a navy blue suit that makes him look not only handsome but sophisticated. Keeth is in the corner with his head down. He is in a black suit with fire around the hem and edge of the suit, which matches me dress.

"Ashlyn. You look absolutely amazing." Mink chatters.

"I love your dress." Meadow chirps happily.

Angus and Durian simply nod and say I look good, which to be honest means a lot to me considering back home I don't get a lot of praise. Mason soon approaches me and takes my hands in his.

"Wow, Ashlyn. I mean wow. You look just stunning. Absolutely gorgeous." Mason praises, which makes my cheeks flush red. I am a little wary about Mason's words and praises as they seem to forward for people who haven't talked as much as Keeth and I have but I try my best to push it out of my thoughts and focus on my interview.

We have ten minutes until the interviews start so we begin to discuss strategies. I don't contribute much until I hear them talking about where we meat after the bloodbath.

"We should meet at the edge of the Cornucopia on the side the tail is facing." I suggest, being slightly obvious I have some sort of information. I bite my tongue as soon as the words leave my mouth. I cannot let them know what I do – not because I don't trust them (in fact I trust them immensely, despite knowing them for a few days) but because I am meant to keep this a secret and I cannot risk what would happen if someone heard me here. I can see the rest of my allies with raised eyebrows. "Uh…uh…I've noticed that in previous games there would always be some sort of water source in the direction the tail is facing. That's why." I lie, hoping for it to be convincing enough. I see a general nod coming from everyone. I smile inwardly at the fact that they all agree.

We stand in line in the order of the interviews. I am second to last because girls go for their interviews before the boys. Keeth is last. Soon enough Glitta is called on stage. She walks on stage confidently, flaunting her pink sparkly gown and her curled hair. Automatically I can tell what her angle is. Occassionally, during the interview she flips her hair back flirtatiously, maintaining the flirty angle she started off with. However at the end she shows a slight devilish side of her when she says that "Nothing can escape the clutch of these hands," which actually sent an unusual chill down my spine, as though she were talking about me, even though I think it was a general comment for all tributes.

Chase enters on stage with a deadly smile on. He is in a black suit, which only highlights his dark side. During his interview he keeps making comments about the Games and how his hands are enough to take the life out of someone, which I think actually frightens Caesar a little.

Amelia from District 2 walks on stage proudly with a short, navy blue dress, adorned with a wide silver belt. She speaks wickedly, making obvious her strategy of frightening the other tributes. She also talks about her family and about how she wants to make her family proud, who prayed that the Games were reinstated so she could make them proud of her.

Then Mason comes on stage with the same mischievous grin plastered on his face from when we first met. I laugh quietly at the sight of that. Mason makes a lot of jokes, which gets the crowd laughing hysterically. I am pleased and relieved that he will get a lot of sponsors. None of the other districts appeal to me and there is nothing unique about their interviews. Except for District 8, Paige. She walks on stage with a turquoise dress. She speaks quietly, not revealing too much about herself, which makes it seem like she want to be elusive. However one comment really shook me.

"So what do you think about participating in these Games." Caesar asks her.

"Well. I am not sure about that. However one thing I would like to say is that I have my eye on someone and I swear that I will get them, no matter what." She answers, right before the buzzer indicates the end. She just reffered to me. I am who she wants to kill. She told me this during training. Or indicated that she would do that.

District 9 goes quickly. Mink acts small but strong and she even says that "Though my hands are small, they have enough strength to hold my victory." Such a young girl said something that even I couldn't have thought off. I am so proud of her but at the same time I feel bad at how quickly she had to mature. Same goes with Melody. Angus' interview is humorous and I openly giggle at some of his comments. Meadow talks about her family and friends back home and her times in 11. She says something about a twin sister but she says that she has been snatched away from her by something cruel. One thing in her interview shocks me though.

"Meadow, tell me honestly. What do you think your chances are in these Games?" Caesar asks.

"Though my hands are small, they have enough strength to hold my victory." She says.

"That's what we heard from District 10's Mink." Caesar points out.

"Well let's just say that Mink and I are very close and we have a very deep connection. Like sisters." She says. Do they know each other already? Or have they become close over time, like Keeth and I?

Durian doesn't speak that much in his interview but speaks enough to show his smartness and power. During his interview I try and calm myself down from all the nerves and stress going on within me. I take long and deep breaths to try and contain the restraint on my heart and stomach. I hear my name called by the interview manager and I am about to walk on stage when I feel Keeth take my hand.

"Good luck Ash." He says. The first time he called me Ash. By my nickname.

"You too." I say just before he lets go of my hand and I make way to the curtains before the stage.

"And now we have the Girl Who Rose From The Ashes. Ashlyn Mellark!" He exclaims. I am ushered onto stage. I walk on stage elegantly, maintaining a straight posture and a wide smile on my face, displaying my pearl white teeth. I wave graciously and royally until Caesar takes my hands and guides me to the white seat adjacent to his. He sits me down and takes a seat himself.

"Ashlyn Mellark. Wow. It seems like just yesterday I had your Mum, Katniss, and Dad, Peeta Mellark, sitting in this seat after their Games. And now their daughter. First of all, your dress certainly looks like you're on fire.

"What can I say? It seems like the fire still hasn't been extinguished." I say. "All credit goes to Justice. He deserves it."

"Justice you deserve a bow." Justice does so and gives me a nod of reassurance. "We want to know how it feels to have parents that are Victors." He asks. I knew it. I knew the question would come up but I won't answer it the way I rehearsed.

"It honestly doesn't feel any different because I view them as my parents and not as Victors but I am proud at the amount of hard work they put in the past. But I can say that I have the skills of Mum and the strength and calmness of my Dad, if that makes any difference." I say.

"Well, it certainly does."

"The only difference is being in the limelight and having a lot of interviews taken by your truly." I say gesturing to Caesar. "And I must point out I am getting a lot better at it too."

"Indeed. And I should know that better than anyone."

"People also say I am exactly like my mum. From my looks to my temper to my intentions." I say.

"Wow. Looks like we got another Katniss on our hands don't we folks." He says, causing an uproar of laughter and applause. I am surprised and shocked. I would think a rebellion would turn opinions around but it doesn't seem like that in this case. That's strange. But then again the people in the Capitol don't care much about anything so they probably would've let everything go. "Your training score was remarkable. Tell us. What miracles did you pull off in there?" He asks.

"Oh Caesar, I can't go breaking the rules now can I? Someone seems to be getting me into trouble." I joke, causing another round of cheers and applause from the crowd that is blocked out by the light.

"Oh Ashlyn. I don't mean to cause any trouble. But any information at all. We are all curious." He pries, clearly unsatisfied by my first answer.

"Well, I can't say much. But whatever I did I made sure I was in the spotlight." I wink.

"Well that's definitely intriguing. Don't you think?" He directs to the audience, who responds with cheers. "Ashlyn." He says after a long pause, taking my hands in his. "One thing that everyone wants to know is about your brother, Rye. We want to know what was going on in your mind when you heard his name on stage."

"Devastated. Absolutely devastated. I just didn't know what to do out there. He is my life. Everything to me and when I heard his name I knew I couldn't do anything about it. I just couldn't. And I'm sorry, Rye." I say, holding back the tears in my eyes. I hear a few loud sobs coming from the audience. "But, I owe Keeth everything when he volunteered. I owe him so much for saving my brother. And I will make sure he gets what he deserves. That he lives." I say, wiping away my tears. I just told the entire country Panem about my intentions. That I am more focused on saving someone else other than me. That has never been said so outwardly before.

"That's so heart-warming. Truly. But I hope you remember the only way two people can survive is when they kill 5 people combined." He reiterates.

"I remember. But I guess I have to do whatever it takes to win." I say just as the buzzer sounds.

"Well. Looks like this is all the time we have." Caesar says, offering his hand to help me stand up. He takes my right hand and lifts it up in the air. "The District 12 tribute. Ashlyn Mellark!" He shouts. Something catches my eye. Standing in the pavilion two floors up are two snake-like eyes glaring at me. Aquilo. Aquilo's watching me. My every step…small or big…it matters to him. Caesar lets go of my hand and I walk off stage but right near the curtain to watch Keeth's interview. Whilst I walk offstage I catch Haymitch smirking at me. That is odd. He only does that when he know something I don't. That is always dangerous.

"Welcome, welcome Keeth Ambertson. We're glad to have you here tonight." I hear Caesar hear, which directs my attention back to the stage. They are already seated.

"Thank you Caesar. And I must say I'm very pleased to see you here too looking so young, as always." Keeth flatters.

"Well I do try my best." Caesar jokes with a response of loud laughter. "So Keeth. What do you think of the Capitol?" Caesar asks.

"Apart from the stunning skyscrapers and luxuries here, I am honestly taken away by the restrooms here the most." Keeth says, which receives a chuckle by Caesar.

"I see. Still getting used to the place?" Caesar points out and Keeth nods. "Something I was quite taken away by was your tribute parade costume." Caesar praises.

"Well I thought it was absolutely remarkable and all credit goes to the District 12 stylists, Justice and Tatiana. They are geniuses." Keeth says.

"We have only seen talent like this in Cinna and now we have these two artists." Caesar says.

"I admire their work."

"Okay. Now we have a question ringing in everyone's mind. Why did you volunteer for the Games?" Caesar asks the thing that is going on in my mind too. Why did he do it?

"I didn't want that young boy to go into the Games. He didn't seem ready. I just had to take his place." He says. He did it for Rye. To save him.

"What about family and friends? Did you not think about them?" Caesar asks.

"Well. I don't need to think about them. Because I have no one with me. I am alone. I am an orphan." He says. I hear a few sniffles from the crowd and a few gasps. "Back home I used to feel very alone and because of that I never tried to make any friends. That except for one. One person that I have talked to for only a few days but have become so close to. A person that is my best friend and only friend." He continues. "But I need to make a confession." Keeth leans in to say, even though the whole of Panem is listening. I wonder what the confession is. "I am the worst friend a person can ever have. I have been ignoring her. Being rude to her."

"And why may that be?"

"Because she has a goal that would put her life in danger. She is planning on doing something without even thinking about her life once. The only way to stop her is for her to hate me. I tried my best but it didn't work. Her trust in me was so much that she carried on with her goal. Her trust in our friendship. She is the best friend I could ever have." He says. Who is talking about? He never talked about any friend to me.

"Who is that best friend?" Caesar pries.

"Ashlyn Mellark."

 **A/N: Love it? Hate it? It's my first chapter after the holidays so please bear with me. I hope that you like it and I left it at a cliff hanger to keep you anticipating...;). I may not be able to post everyday like before because school has started and I will be busy but I will try my best so don't get mad. And I'm sorry once again. Bye guys...**


	16. Confessions

**Chapter 16.) Confessions**

 **A/N: I am extremely sorry, my patient readers that I haven't updated in like 1 and 1/2 weeks. I feel guilty. But do not worry. I think I have made it up to you with this chapter. A lovely chapter for my Kashlyth lovers...and I am pleased to announce that the Games begin...so read and enjoy...**

"Who is that best friend?" Caesar pries.

"Ashlyn Mellark."

I stand there frozen and speechless. He never hated me. He never wanted to ignore me. He was just pretending. It was all a charade. A strange sort of relief and satisfaction runs through me. Relief and satisfaction that I haven't lost a friend I just met but know so well. Joy floods through me too. I will have my best friend. To support me in these Games. I can see the cameras are on me and on the screen I watch myself grinning from ear to ear. If he wouldn't have confessed today I probably would've lost any hope of getting him back to me even if we were to win. I would've been broken if he wouldn't have confessed. With the realisation I feel a sense of anger. He did all of that to protect me but didn't even think about what was going through my mind and heart when he would shout at me or ignore me or treat me like I was no one. Even though it was all an act, it affected my feelings for real.

"Wow. Looks like you two have gotten close in a few days. That is very pleasing to hear." Caesar says as the buzzer sounds. Keeth and Caesar stand up and Caesar takes Keeth's right hand and lifts it up in the air. "Keeth Ambertson. District 12, everybody!" Caesar shouts enthusiastically. Caesar lets go and Keeth walks towards backstage. As he walks towards backstage I start to walk backwards further away. I cannot face him right now. He has hurt me. I feel tears welling up in my eyes. Keeth enters backstage and is instantly greeted by my parents and Haymitch, who congratulate him and pat him on the back. Haymitch knew why Keeth was ignoring me. And he knew he was about to confess today. Keeth finally spots me. There is about a four metre difference between us.

"Ashlyn." He mumbles loud enough for me to hear. He takes a step forward. I put my hand out to him gesturing for him to stop.

"Don't. Don't come near me." I say running off to the elevator. I can hear him shouting my name from behind me as he is running after me. I push the button 12 and watch the elevator doors close right on his face. Once the doors of the elevators close tears begin to stream down my cheeks. How can he do this to me? Only I know the amount of pain I felt whenever he treated me like a stranger and then he can just come on stage and say that he didn't mean any of this. In two minutes he says that it was an act but I spent two days of emotional torture. As soon as the elevator doors open I make a beeline to my room and collapse onto the bed crying.

I spend about an hour lying down on my bed. During that time I hear several knocks on my door but I ignore them and eventually the knocking stops. I finally convince myself to get out and shower. After showering I change into a pink tank top and silky white shorts with pink flowers on. I am not very fond of pink but that's the only colour tank top and shorts left in my drawers.

I pace around the room debating on whether I should talk to him or not. I will need to face him in the Games and I have decided to protect him no matter what so maybe I should talk things out. After all even though whatever he did hurt me, he tried to save me. Make me more concentrated in saving myself. While I was trying to protect him, he was trying to protect me. What he did was selfless. He knew I would hate him but he still went on with his plan. He was selfless and here I am mad at him. I only thought about my feelings but he was planning on saving me. He was so sweet for doing that for me. He is such an honest and kind person. He is so supportive. Thinking of him makes my cheeks turn red as I imagine his smiling self. I need to apologise for overreacting and misunderstanding him. I swiftly run out of my door and knock on his. No answer. He is probably not in his room or he would've answered the door. I run to the living room and find Haymitch, Mum and Dad on the couch watching the repeat of the interviews. They may know where Keeth is. I stop in front of them to catch my breath for a second. I am about to open my mouth to ask them where Keeth is but Haymitch interrupts me.

"Through that door. On the roof." Haymitch says.

"How did you know?" I ask.

"I knew you'd realise that what he did was to protect you, sooner or later." Haymitch says. I roll my eyes.

I push the door open and find a black, spiral staircase. Once I reach the top I open the door to encounter a pleasant breeze that I have felt after a week. My arms and legs feel numb. I should've worn a jacket of some sort. I ignore the numbness and carry on to find Keeth on the edge looking out onto the city. I join him right next to him, leaning against the ledge with my arms.

"Can't believe something so beautiful can exist in this cruel place." I say, referring to the gorgeous city lights gleaming everywhere and hundreds of people dancing on the blocks, enjoying their life.

"Beauty is everywhere. Sometimes all it takes is to look." He meaningfully says.

"But sometimes you're too engrossed to find the beauty." I say. There is a long pause. "Like me." I say, turning to face him. "I'm sorry for the way I reacted back there. Really I am. Please forgive me."

"No, you don't need to apologise. I am to be blamed. I just did what instinct told me to." He says, turning to face me too.

"I was just angry. I felt like you betrayed me. That you hurt me. But I was wrong. You did us a favour. You made us unforgettable. The sponsors will love the act. Best friends forever." I say. "And it's a good thing you stopped talking to me before that or my reactions wouldn't have been original." I add, turning back towards the city. What did I just say? I know he means it but if he didn't I don't want him to think I expect anything from him?

"An act." He scoffs. I turn to face him, confused. "You think it was all an act? That everything I said was a lie."

"Keeth. No. I mean yes. I mean…I don't know." I say.

"I cannot believe you, Ashlyn." He says. "That my words don't seem real to you. That what I feel doesn't seem real to you. Maybe I am not clear enough. Maybe it's my fault." He says, walking towards the door. I grab his arm.

"Why are you getting so angry?" I ask.

"I am angry because… because… I cannot tell you how I feel. That I don't have the courage to tell you how I feel."

"And how do you feel?" I pry. He turns to face me. I take a deep breath.

"I feel. That I love you." He says.

"What?"

"Yes. I love you Ashlyn. And I have for a long time." He says.

"A long time? How did you know who I was?"

"Are you kidding me? Everyone knows who you are. And me. Me especially. You would come by the orphanage every month with that large bouquet of lilies and music. The way you would dance so freely and so happily made me fall in love with you." He says. I do not answer. "I know this is a lot for you to take in. But I need to know what you feel about me?" He says.

"I am not sure, Keeth. You cannot just drop this over me and then expect me to answer, Keeth. I am not sure. Whether I love you or not. I am confused. I like you really. You're the bestest friend I could have, but I am not sure I feel for you in that way. I'm sorry Keeth." I apologise.

"It's okay Ashlyn. I cannot force anything on you. It's fine." He says, walking away. I grab his arm.

"Keeth please don't do this. I really love being your friend and I don't want to spoil that. Can we be like we were? When we were friends." I suggest.

"Friends?" He says giving his hand for me to shake.

"The best." I says, rejecting his extended arm and opening my arms out for a hug. He accepts as I bury my head in his chest. The chest that gives me so much warmth. He gently runs his fingers through my hair. I feel so guilty that I let Keeth down but I didn't want to tell him a lie and then disappoint him. That would not be fair on Keeth.

There is silence. None of us talk to each other. He wraps his arm around me and we stare out onto the city and admire the beauty. There is silence. Until I hear humming. My song. Where is that humming coming from? Is it in my head? Maybe I am imagining it. Nearing death could get someone to imagine things, I guess. Wait. There it is again. I look around frantically until I find the source. Keeth. How could he know my song?

"Sorry. I just really like this song." He says when he spots me staring.

"How do you know this song?" I ask impatiently.

"I heard it and I sort of picked it up."

"Heard it from who?" I ask.

"You." My eyes widen. "When you'd come by to the orphanage to drop of your games you'd always sing this song on the way. So every day I would wait by the tree from where you'd pass so I can hear you sing. I picked it up from there." He clarifies.

"This song is really special to me." I say. "I wrote this song. I wrote it when I was 12 just after I learnt about the Games and the Rebellion. Those were the nights I couldn't sleep. All I could think about were the people who died. Soldiers. Civilians. Loved ones. So I came up with this song to remind me of them. It made me feel connected to the people who sacrificed so much." I say.

"You sing beautifully." He compliments.

"Like my mum." I say, remembering when she taught me to sing "the Hanging Tree."

"You love them a lot, don't you?" He says. "Your family." I nod, they are my life. "Whenever I see families like that, it makes me think about how it feels to be loved. Something I have never experienced before."

"You will Keeth. You will win these Games. My family is like your family. And when you win my family will be your family. You will never be alone again."

"No we will win. Together." He says, taking my hand into his.

"Together." I say.

We spend 20 minutes on the roof before we decide to go down to our rooms. When we get there Mum, Dad, Haymitch and Effie in the living room, waiting for us.

"Why aren't you asleep?" I ask.

"Don't you want to say goodbye." Dad says.

"What?"

"We will need to be downstairs signing up sponsor so we will not be able to see you tomorrow." Dad says. Tears begin to escape as the thought of the possibility of seeing my parents for the last time. I run into my Dad's arms. He rubs my back slowly.

"Ash. You're strong okay. You will not cry. Understand?" I nod, wiping my tears.

"Thank you for everything Dad. I am the luckiest girl in the world." I say, from the bottom of my heart.

"Sh. This is not goodbye. We will see each other in a few weeks. I am certain." He says. "And just to let you know, you were always my favourite." I laugh. "Don't tell Rye." He says.

"I don't think I will get the chance." I cry.

"Ash. It's alright. You'll make it." He reassures.

"I love you Dad." I say.

"I love you too, sweetheart."

Mum comes up to me and take me into an embrace. I break down again.

"Ashlyn, don't cry. You're a Mellark. We are strong and brave. So don't cry. Don't trust your allies except Keeth. And make sure you are always armed."

"I will Mum. And I will survive. I will show them that the fire is still alive. That the Mockingjay is still strong." I reassure.

"She is and will always be." Mum says.

"Don't let Rye watch the Games, Mum. Please." I plead nad Mum gives me a silent nod.

I stand back, allowing Keeth to say his goodbye. They are brief, considering only a few days of actual bonding but I do hear them giving him advice and assuring him that we will come out alive. Then both of us move on to Haymitch who was standing silently in the corner.

"Uncle Haymitch. I know you don't like this big emotional goodbyes but I guess I will have to disappoint you. I just want to say that you have been my biggest support, not just here but for as long as I can remember. Telling me stories. Helping me with homework. I just want to say that you're not like my uncle. But like my dad." I say, finding Haymitch with a tear.

"Well, someone needed to help the girl on fire." He shrugs as if it were nothing. Keeth comes forward and thanks Haymitch before asking Haymitch for any advice.

"Well. When the gong sounds I would suggest running to the Cornucopia because of the big alliance to take whatever you need and then makes your way out. Then find water."

"And after that." Keeth asks. Haymitch smirks.

"Stay alive." I say, bursting out into a fit of laughter. Soon everyone joins in. I watch the smiles on everyone's face and cherish this moment. My beautiful family smiling. I thank Effie for everything, something she truly deserves. We soon go back to our rooms.

I just lie down in bed, unable to sleep. Afraid of nightmares. Afraid of what I will encounter in the arena. Afraid of who I might have to kill. Kill. The word seems so foreign to me in the context of humans. How can I kill a person? I am not ruthless. I cannot kill anyone. They are children. Innocent children. I don't understand the point of killing people. How can someone be entertained by bloodshed? But if Keeth and I need to survive we need to kill five people. How? I will not have the heart to do so. What if it comes to just my alliance? What if we are the last of the tributes left? How can I kill my friends? I wouldn't be able to. Never. That is betrayal. I could never break someone's trust. Or can I? What do I do? I reach out for my Mockingjay pin and gently stroke the edges to calm me down. This will give me the power. This will be my motivation. It will remind me of friends and family. Eventually I fall off to sleep.

"Ashlyn. Ashlyn." I hear. "It's time." I hear. My eyes flutter open to find Justice's face hovering over mine. He is standing next to my bed, I guess trying to wake me up. I jolt up. "We need to get on the hovercraft in half an hour. Take a shower and meet me at the elevator."

"Keeth?" I ask.

"You will only see him in the arena." He says and I sigh, disappointed.

I urge myself to get out of bed and get into the shower and cherish the last moments of a hot shower. I get out 20 minutes later and put on a blue top and black jeans, not bothered about my hair knowing that Justice will have my clothes changed and hair done again. I take a long and deep break before gently opening the door. I find Justice by the elevator, hands in pockets waiting for me. As soon as I join Justice we enter the elevator to go down to the hovercraft. There is an eerie silence between Justice and I but I guess there is nothing much to say in this situation. I respect that. He just puts his arm on my shoulder to support me and I give his hand a thankful and gentle squeeze.

Soon enough we reach the level to aboard the hovercraft. The vehicle that will transport me to the place where twenty four of us will fight for our lives. The place where twenty two young, innocent children shall say goodbye to their lives. The place where family will watch their loved ones get injured and stabbed to death. The place where two teenagers will unhappily survive and be crowned Victors. The place where people will rather pray to die than live. The place where my parents have gone. The place where I am going right now. A ladder drops down in front of me and I climb on and soon a current travels down it, freezing me on there. The ladder flies up into the dark hovercraft. A lady in a white, lab coat guides me to my seat and automatically a belt traps me in. The seats around me are full. They are filled with tributes. One from each District. I scan the room, examining facial expressions. I spot Mink in the far corner fidgeting with the hem of her purple shirt, which displays her anxiousness. I believe she notices me staring as she send me a sad smile. I then spot Durian, coldly staring at the floor. He doesn't notice me and I soon turn my gaze down to my feet.

"Give me your arm." I hear a harsh and husky voice say. I look up to find the same woman with a strange machine in her hand that has a needle.

"What is that?" I ask, pointing to the machine.

"A tracker. Now give me your hand." She orders. I give my arm and wince at the feeling of the tracker enter my body. I look down and watch the red, blinking light travel through my arm until the light dims and disappears. I sigh and continue to look at the floor. After some time I feel the hovercraft has stopped moving and the belt unstrap. The woman lets us out one by one, me being the third. I walk out of the hovercraft and am told to go to a certain room. After a lot of exploring I find my launch room. This is it. This is the room that will send me to my death. I open the door and find Justice sitting on the deep blue leather chair. He gets up at the sight of him and I can no longer control my emotions as I dash to Justice and fling my arms around him. I catch Justice off guard as he takes a few steps back before stabilising. I find my cheek moist and I realise that I have been crying. He sits me down on the chair and orders for some food. It is beans and toast. I devour the breakfast, knowing that eating a meal like this in the arena is near impossible. Once I finish, Justice hands me my clothes- the ones I need to wear in the arena. It is black cargo pants, white undershirt, green shirt and laced boots. Justice then braids my hair, in the signature Katniss braid, leaving out the little stands of hair out as a fringe. I turn around to face and he just examines me.

"What if something happens to me?." I admit.

"Ashlyn. Just focus. Don't let anything distract you. Then nothing will happen to you." He reassures. My Mockingjay pin. Where is it? It is the only thing that makes me focus. Did I forget it? I scold myself inwardly. How could I leave it behind. It is the most important thing. I look around frantically.

"Looking for this." Justice says, opening his palm to reveal the golden Mockingjay. "You left it in your room. Thought you might want it." He says, as he pins it on my shirt and puts my braid over it to hide it. I am so thankful to him. I stroke the edge of the pin.

"I'm scared." I admit. He reaches out to a book on the table and flips through the pages until he reaches the one he wants. He turns the book around for me to see. The page is filled. Filled with designs. Clothes on fire. Arena clothes. All designed on one person. The Mockingjay. This is a book Cinna must've designed, because the year on the book is of 24 years ago. How does Justice have this? But right now I am just admiring how powerful Mum looks in these designs. I watch Justice point at a sketch of Mum with her first Games arena wear.

"You look just like her, Ashlyn. And you are just like her. Strong and powerful. That is you." He explains. This has truly given me motivation. I take the book in my hands and flip through the pages. I see drawings of Mum's interview dresses, Victory tour outfits and even dresses that no one has seen. As I flip through the pages, something catches my eye. My interview dress. It has already been designed. It is already in this book. It has been designed by Cinna. I furrow my brow in confusion and look at Justice.

 _1 minute to launch I hear a voice boom_

"Justice. This book?" I ask.

"It's Cinna's and now I have it." He states.

"How did you get this book Justice?" I ask. There is a long silence. "Please Justice. This may be the only time I can ask this question." I plead, emotionally.

"I have this book because…" He says.

 _30 seconds to launch. All tributes to their tubes._

"I am Cinna's son." He says and I widen my eyes. How did I not realise or see their resemblance. He is Cinna's son. He is practically family. The amount of trust he has in me is understandable now.

 _15 seconds to launch. All tributes to their tubes._

I give Justice a tight hug, before he puts my jacket on me. It is thick material. He guides me to the tribute tube.

"I have full faith in you." He whispers.

 _5 seconds to launch. All tributes to their tubes._

He puts his fingers under his chin. Raise my head. I watch the tube close around me. I am trapped. I am trapped in this small space. A sudden feeling of claustrophobia hits me as I place my hands on the glass of the tube. I watch the light in the launch room disappear and the darkness fill around me, as the plate moves upwards. I take short breaths, in panic. This is it. This is where the Games begin. No. Not here. The Games begun the day that Aquilo took over. The day he decided to fill torture into our lives. This is where I will see what the Gamemakers have produced. What terrain have the created to kill Ashlyn Mellark?

The bright light blinds me, forcing me to close my eyes. I feel the plate halt and I slowly open my eyes, which are still trying to get accustomed to the light after the heavy amount of darkness. Once my vision is clear, I am stunned. A field on one side. Woods on the other. Grass in the centre. Lake by the edge of the Cornucopia. And Cornucopia in the centre. I know this place like the back of my hand.

Claudius Templesmith's voice booms - _"Ladies and Gentlemen – let the 77_ _th_ _Hunger Games begin. And may the odds be ever in your favour!"_

 **A/N: Thanks to my consistent reviewer SibunaMockingjay but I only got one review last chapter. Please guys. I would appreciate some more. Anyway does anyone recognise the arena? So the Games begin in the next chapter...**

 **p/s I am so glad to finally reveal Justice's secret. It is like a huge weight is off my shoulders. *sighs in relief***

 **Follow/favourite/review and review and review and review and review and review and review and review...**


	17. Bloodbath

**A/N: Thanks to SibunaMockingjay for the review.I am calling all of my reviewers. It is an emergency. An empty review page...Anyway...I feel happy that I updated somewhat quick. Especially since I have been busy with coursework and homework. Here is the bloodbath...hope you enjoy ;)**

 **Chapter 17.) Bloodbath.**

Claudius Templesmith's voice booms - _"Ladies and Gentlemen – let the 77_ _th_ _Hunger Games begin. And may the odds be ever in your favour!"_

I watch as the countdown begins. 60…59…58…57…56…55…54…

Most of the arena is woods, most of it in the direction of the tail. About a quarter is a wheat field, which is in the direction of the mouth of the Cornucopia. Lake on the side. Large, flat area in the centre with hard-packed dirt with the Cornucopia in the middle. Woods. Field. Lake. Cornucopia. Woods. Field. Lake. Cornucopia. Woods. Field. Lake. Cornucopia. Woods. Field. Lake. Cornucopia. I know this place like the back of my hand. I have watched their Games a thousand times. I have watch the 74th Hunger Games a thousand times. Their arena has been re-created. Every inch of this place has been recreated. But why? Why repeat the arena? What must be going on in the Gamemaker's mind? What are their intentions? To unnerve me. To put me of my Game. So that I do not win. I look around at the positions of the tributes. I locate Keeth, four tributes away from me. Meadow is about 6 tributes away from me and luckily, Durian is right next to her. I give a sigh of relief. Panic strikes me as I cannot place Mink, Angus or Mason. I think that they are behind the Cornucopia. I hope they somehow get out of the bloodbath, following out plan. I really hope. I glance back up to the clock. 21…20…19…18…17…16…

Mum would've been standing right here 25 years ago. With the same fear and confusion going through her. Whether to run away or fight. Whether to kill or be killed. Dad would've been standing further away, looking at Mum, trying to reassure her. Give her strength. Maybe even convince her to go for the backpack. So much suffering has happened here. Mum. Dad. They have suffered in this very place. I look back at the clock. The orange, digital figures are fuzzy. Slightly blurry. I see a big, fuzzy circle. And a noise sounds. Was it the gong? Mum must've have convinced herself to run for the backpack after the gong. But she was distracted. She didn't run. She just stood there. What if she ran slightly late? Would she be here right now? Would I be here right now? What if the knife that was thrown to her, hit her and not her bag? She would've been dead. I hear something.

"Ashlyn." I hear. I feel arms around mine, shaking me back into this world. My eyes come to life to see Keeth. I see killing starting around me. Knives plunged into the heart of people. Spears thrown. I zoned out. I was distracted. That was the gong. Instinctively I pull Keeth towards the Cornucopia, watching everyone distracted in killing each other. No one will know we were here. On the way to the mouth I pick up a large backpack on the way and Keeth picks up a sheath of axes that was dropped on the floor. Once we are at the mouth I scavenge through the numerous food packs and weapons while Keeth guards me with his axe in hand. I wrap two sheaths of knives around my waist and hand Keeth a sheath of arrows and a silver bow. One by one food packs, medicine boxes and weapons disappear into empty backpacks that are now slinged around our shoulders. I take a knife in my hand and stand up, ready to retreat. My shoulders are full and I feel the weight of all the excess weaponry and resources but I have a plan. We begin to make our way to the edge of the Cornucopia and make our way around the edge to the side the tail is facing. We just begin running when Keeth takes a detour to the left hand side. But before he says, "Go. I'll be there."

I obey running towards the edge but turning my head to see where he is going. Angus. I watch Chase tower over the now laying Angus, sword in hand. Keeth went to help Angus. I turn my head to where I am running to but I am in shock. I come face to face with Amelia's cold eyes and sinister smile. She has an axe in hand, poised for attack and she walks towards me. All of a sudden she lunges at me, in attempt to plunge the axe through my stomach. I dodge effortlessly and dig my knife through the back of her right leg. That should slow her down, but not kill her. I cannot kill her. Or anyone. At least for now. She collapses to the ground in pain as her leg would probably not be able to carry her weight. She holds her leg in an attempt to stop the pain. She begins to scream and I decide I better leave. As I get closer to the edge of the Cornucopia I realise I am running towards the field. But I soon see Meadow and Durian waiting. I soon meet up with them and we make our way around the edge onto the opposite side. To the woods. The way the tail is facing.

"Why did you bring all this?" She says, referring to weapons like sheaths of axes and the excess like a couple of arrow and knife sheaths.

"I have a plan." I say, making a detour towards the lake. Meadow and Durian follow me. Once I get to the lake I drop everything I have on me onto the ground.

"Water." Meadow squeals as she begins to walk in, probably to take a sip but I put my hand out to stop her. I take a leaf I find on the ground and dip half of it into the water. A couple of seconds later I take it out and watch Meadow and Durian's eyes widen as they witness the now deformed and crippled leaf.

"Acid." I hear Durian mutter. I nod in response. We crouch down and begin to sort out all the supplies, which aren't in the backpacks, into piles of things we need and do not need. It is very risky to do so, considering our proximity to the Cornucopia, but all the Career tributes are probably busy finishing of the people present at the Cornucopia. The thought brings up Keeth, Angus, Mason and Mink. Have they left the Cornucopia? Are they safe? Once all the things we have are sorted, we dump the rest into the acid water. If we cannot have it, then no one can. And if the tributes are smart enough they will not enter the water, unless they want to die. Now between the three of us we have: 4 backpacks; 3 sheaths of knives (each one has 15); 4 sheaths of arrows (each one has 12); 1 bow; 2 slingshots (for Meadow and Mink); a sheath of axes (for Durian); 1 silver bow and a dart gun (also for Mink.) I wrap a sheath of knives around my waist and the sheath of arrows over my shoulder, accompanied by the bow and a backpack. It is a lot to carry but once we all meet up we can split it up equally. We begin to make our way to the meeting point, walking in a good and steady pace. Surprisingly the fighting is still going on as I hear clashes of swords and cries of agony. I watch Amelia finish of a small boy and Chase behead a girl. I cringe at the sight of them. Once we reach the meeting point, we are shocked to only see Mason.

"Where are the rest of them?" I ask in panic.

"I don't know. When the gong sounded I met up with Mink and we got supplies from the Cornucopia." He recalls, displaying the backpack and sword on him. "We got the supplies and we were heading this way when I hear Angus call for help so I told Mink to meet you here. I thought she came to you." We shake our heads.

"You said you went to Angus, where is he?"

"I was going to help him and Keeth but the girl from 8 attacked me with her knife." He says. "I dodged her, but she didn't give up. I ended up slashing her on her arm with my sword and she ran off. When I turned for Angus and Keeth they weren't there. I thought they were here too."

Oh God. Where are they? I hope they are safe. I hope that they are alive. I hope they find us. All of a sudden a loud noise enters my ears. The canons. Of the bloodbath. I count them in my head. 10. 10 innocent children died today. 10 helpless human beings died. Could it be Keeth? Angus? Mink? That sweet little girl, who has most of her life ahead of her.

"10 dead." Durian says softly. We all nod sadly.

"Let's go." Mason says.

"Wait. What about Keeth, Angus and Mink?" I ask.

"It is not safe to stay here. The Careers will camp at the Cornucopia and we are clearly in sight." Mason states the obvious. I nod in agreement and we turn around to walk away when I lose balance. I feel a large tremor under my feet. I feel the ground vibrating. Shaking under my feet. I witness the rest of my alliance fall to the ground, trying to stay in place. I reach out for the nearest tree and hug the trunk in attempt to not fall to the ground. What is going on? Have the audience gotten bored already? Is this their way of making the Game more interesting because to me it isn't? We all scream and shout in fear, despite knowing the potential risk of being found. I close my eyes. Maybe these Games were a plan. To kill me. To get rid of the Mockingjay's daughter. I am soon proven wrong when the tremors stop and I am absolutely certain that I am alive. Along with my allies.

"What was that?" Meadow asks, innocently. "Why did this happen?"

"That's why." Durian says, pointing to the Cornucopia. It is visible from the far distance of where we are standing. That is what the Gamemakers want to do. Split the arena, I think to myself, looking at the canyon splitting the arena as it cut right through the middle of the arena. The canyon is wide, about 20ft, or so I can tell from where I am standing. I am not sure about the depth, but I am pretty sure anyone who falls in will not make it out alive. All the Careers are on our side of the arena. Unluckily. They are still on the ground, recovering from the shake. A way across comes to vision. The Cornucopia. The Cornucopia can be climbed over to get from one side to another. The only problem is you have to get through the Careers to do so. The people on the other side would barely survive without a water source and according to the letter the only one is in the direction of the tail. And so far the word on the letter seem true. After all it did say that it will be the arena of my parents. I just hope that Keeth isn't on that side. Without a water source he wouldn't survive and I plan on both of us getting out of here. If he is on that side he has no way to come back to me. How will I protect him if we are so far apart?

"Ashlyn. We need to go." Meadow says. I turn to see Mason and Durian ready to go. We begin our search for water before we camp and check our supplies. Durian takes the lead, axe in hand, and Mason takes the rear, armed with his sword. Meadow and I walk in the middle. We take a steady pace that we can all keep up with, avoiding snapping twigs or causing leaves to rustle. We can never be too careful, as someone may be nearby, waiting for some noise or sign of human activity. Meadow walks silently, head down, playing with her fingers. No one speaks. Durian doesn't. Mason doesn't. And neither do I. But Meadow's actions scare me. She seems to solemn.

"Missing your family?" I ask.

"Mhm." She nods.

"Me too. Miss my parents. My brother, Rye. He is probably worrying about me. Miss Uncle Haymitch." I say.

"I understand." She replies.

"What happened out there? In the bloodbath?" I asks, suspecting that my answer about her silence will be found there.

"What? Um. Nothing." She says but her eyes begin to well tears.

"Meadow you can tell me." I assure.

"I killed someone Ash. There's blood on my hands. Durian found me and we went to the Cornucopia and collected supplies. I had the sheath of knives. We were running to the edge when the District 8 boy attacked Durian. He was armed with a knife. Durian dropped all his supplies when the boy jumped on him. I panicked. The boy was about to stab him, when instinct took over, and I threw a knife at him. It hit his stomach. Anger flood through me because Durian is like family and I took the knife out of him and stabbed him in the heart. I am so cruel. I am as cruel as a Career." She puts her hands on her face. I put my arm around her to console her.

"You saved a life Meadow. It was either him or Durian. You had to pick. So don't think it was your fault. Because you didn't ask to kill him or be here." I assure and she flings her arms around me.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So much. I feel like a boulder has been lifted off my heart." I feel someone bump into us.

"Woah. Woah girls. Keep moving. Keep moving. This isn't a park." Mason chuckles and so do we. I have my giggling Meadow back. We walk for about 5 hours but with no sign of water. I take the lead now, giving Mason a bit of a break. I keep my bow in hand and if anyone were to attack I can load my bow in a matter of seconds. On the way I manage to find berry bushes. One blackberry bush. And one damson berry bush. Damson berries do not taste that great but we pick it just in case. You never know when we run out of food. This can come in handy. My throat begins to dry. There is a burning sensation in my throat that is constantly growing. I feel my lips crack with the lack of moisture. My tongue swiped across my lips frequently. After all this walking and the hot temperature of the arena, I feel the desire for even a few drops of water. My disappointment increases when we check the backpacks for water, but only find empty bottles. After a while the thirst begins to affect my brain. My head begins to feel dizzy and my legs begin to shake and I drop to the ground a couple of times.

After about another hour or so I find some hope. I hear squelching under my feet and when I lift my foot in the air to see mud under my foot. Mud. Wet mud. I squeal and jump in joy. Without saying anything I run towards the tall grass. There it is. The beautiful, slow-flowing stream. Water. We did it.

"Ash!" I hear Meadow exclaim. I find Mason and Durian running behind Meadow. I cup my hands and scoop up a handful of water to show them. I hear the boys cheer and watch Meadow jump up and down. They all run to the water and begin to gulp down the life-saving liquid, as do me. I give a sigh of satisfaction and Mason laughs at me. I watch Mason take a handful of water and throw it at me. It hits me at my face.

"Oh Mason Hawthorne. You made a big mistake messing with me." I say, running my hands through the water and throwing it at him. I watch his face drip with water. I laugh loudly. Mason splashing me triggered a mad water fight, Durian and Meadow participating too. I run away from them but Mason chases me, grabs onto my waist, pulls me and drops me into the water. I stay underwater. Revenge time. I hold my breath and tread underwater, waiting for the worried faces. I hear a splash next to me. I feel my lungs giving in. I need some air. I pull myself out of the water and spit out the rest of the water in my mouth. I open my eyes to see Mason in the water with me. In no time he takes me into an embrace.

"Oh my God. Ash. You scared me. What do you think you were doing, pretending to drown? How dare you? Do you know how scared I was?" He rants.

"I'm sorry. Daddy." I say and his eyes widen and I burst out laughing. I look up to the sky. "Dad. It seems like you have been replaced." I chuckle. I cannot believe I am actually laughing. In the arena. I guess having friends with you is really a plus point I think to myself. Mason and I get out of the water and take out jackets off and place it on a boulder to dry. I leave the rest of my clothes because I'd rather have wet clothes on than none. Once we sit down for some time I realise how loud we were. That was stupid. Really, really stupid.

We decide to check what else is in our backpacks. Amongst the 5 backpacks we have we have gotten: 4 empty water bottles, which we fill up at the stream); a bottle of iodine (to purify water); 3 sleeping bags; 2 medical boxes, filled with bandages, thread and needles; 2 packs of dried peach; 2 packs of dried meat and an extra 5 knives. Overall we are satisfied with our findings. I mean we could be a lot worse. We somehow split the things up and re pack our bags, before heading off. We are aiming to get as much distance between us and the Cornucopia. I take the rear this time. But I don't focus. All I can think of is Keeth. I missed him so much by the stream. We had so much fun and I wish he was there with me. I miss him so much. I stroke the edge of my Mockingjay pin to calm myself down. Eventually we find a tree strong enough to take out weight. And we find it just before nightfall. We sit on the ground and eat some berries accompanied by some dried meat that was shared equally. Once we had an adequate enough, we decide to let two of us sleep, while the other two take watch. We are about to do so when the anthem begins. The emblem features in the sky. And soon the dead appears in the sky. I close my eyes and stroke my pin again to brace myself for the dead. _Not Keeth. Not Angus. Not Mink._ That is the only thing going on in my mind.

First District 1 comes up. What? A Career. Glitta. She is dead. The District 3 pair. The District 5 and 7 pair. Then comes Jute from District 8. I watch Meadow look down in shame but I put my arm around her shoulder to calm her down. The District 9 girl is also dead. Next is District 10. _Not Angus. Not Mink. Not Angus. Not Mink._ District 10 appears in the sky. _One of them died_. _Angus or Mink._ I close my eyes. I cannot face this. I peek however. I need to know. I will know anyway. An innocent face appears in the sky. She has pigtails and a sweet and gleaming smile. The smile that has been taken away from her. From beautiful Mink. Already a tear is flowing down my cheek. Mink you do not deserve this. You're too good for this. How can no one feel bad for her? How can no feel like crying when they see her stiff eyes? I close my eyes again. Will I see Keeth's face in the sky? No. I give a sigh of relief. He is not dead. He is alive. He is with me. I look at my allies, everyone with tears in their eyes. For Mink. I stand up, place three fingers of my left hand on my mouth and hold it up. The District 12 salute. I sit back down and no one questions what I did. I am about to tell Meadow to climb up the tree and sleep but I don't. I can't. Not with tears streaming down her face. She is crying. I hear her sniffle in between her sobs. Is she crying for Mink?

"Meadow." I say. "Meadow are you alright?" I ask. She doesn't reply. She just climbs the tree along with her backpack, effortlessly. Mason follows leaving Durian and I to keep watch. We sit shoulder to shoulder, leaning against the trunk of the tree.

"She's mourning." Durian says. "For Mink."

"Mink. Oh God. There are no words to describe her innocence. No one deserves this. Especially not her." I say.

"No you don't understand how Meadow feels right now." Durian explains.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Meadow and Mink were family. They were twin sisters."

 **A/N**

 **Expected? Not expected? Ha. I knew this already. Of course I did. Because I wrote this. Ha. Sorry...I just had chocolate. Anyway...wonder where Keeth is right now? Well me too. I wonder where Keeth and Angus have gone. I just hope that they are not on the other side of the canyon. If so then...DUN DUN DAH! I am not sure what will happen to Ash if Keeth is there. Just to clarify the canyon splits the arena into half. One side with the field and the other with the woods(the one with Ash). However the side with the field has a bit of woods too. And also to clarify that the mouth of the Cornucopia is on the side of the field. So Day 1 is over...wonder what Day 2 will bring...And one more thing...please review. I only got 1 review and I am really curious and eager to know what you think. So pretty please...with a cherry on top. Okay, fine...a strawberry too ;)**

 **p.s I just realised I have been babbling absolute unnecessary things right now. Sorry.**


	18. Daisy

**Disclaimer: I wish I did own the Hunger Games...but I do not, sadly. (sad face)**

 **A/N: Sorry to all my lovely readers for the long wait. I mean 1 and a half weeks is long right? Anyway a shoutout to my consistent reviewer SibunaMockingjay. What could I do without you? I just want to say that I am expecting a lot of reviews for this story. So pretty please with a cherry on top...don't let me down...;)**

 **Chapter 18.) Daisy**

The warm fire. The fire I sit around, along with my family. I place my hands near the fire to absorb the warmth. The warmth and safety I want and need right now. I hear Rye and his friends laugh in the corner and watch my parents snuggle up on the couch. I chatter to Amethyst, Jesse and Keeth about absolute irrelevant things, but still manage to get them to laugh. Everything is perfect. Too perfect. I feel an object prick at my back, inches away from my spinal cord. My eyes flutter open. The pain on my back increases as I feel the sharp object deepen its hold on my skin. I lean forward and turn around to see a thin and tiny but sharp brand protruding from the thick trunk. I sigh in irritation and begin to untie the knot of the rope that stopped me from falling out. I wiggle myself out of the sleeping bag, stuff it into my backpack, which I tied onto a branch above. I put my backpack on and begin to climb down, jumping when I near the ground.

"Someone seems to have slept well." Mason, who is sitting on the ground next to Durian, says sarcastically. I roll my eyes.

"Yeah this thin branch is way better than my comfortable bed back home." I respond sarcastically.

"Yeah we can see that by your mood." He mocks. I shove him gently and he begins to laugh.

"Here." Durian says, handing me some sort of leg of an animal. I furrow my brow in confusion. "It's a rabbit. Mason went hunting." He points out and I take the leg and sit down, resting my back on the trunk behind me. I only just realise that Meadow is next to me, her soft breathing giving it away. She is just looking down at her leg, fiddling with it, and she seems in no mood to eat it. And why would she. Not after her sister leaving. I see a tear stream down her face and I, gently take my hand and wipe the tear of her cheek. She looks at me with those now mourning eyes, wishing. Wishing that her sister would be by her side. My heart feels heavy, when I think about their story.

Last night, Durian told me everything. About how Mink was in District 10. About exactly what happened and what sacrifice they made just to protect each other. Mink and Meadow were twin sisters, living in District 11. Their dad was the mayor of 11 and could still be. Mink had a friend, who lived in 10 and during the time Aquilo took power, Mink was visiting in 10, along with her mother. Once Aquilo took power, they tried to get home by train. They showed papers. Documents. But nothing. Nothing happened. They were not authorised to go back home. The District you were in at that time was your home District. And 10 was Mink's. Meadow and Mink were separated. Mink and her mother had limited money and their Dad couldn't send any either as it was not authorised. Therefore, to make ends meet, Mink took the worst option possible. The tesserae. She did that without her mother's knowledge, until they got all the grain and other supplies. Due to higher chances, Mink's name was pulled out of the bowl for the Games. She was chosen. District 11's reaping was to happen after 10's. Mink's mother somehow made a phone call to their Dad to let him know about what happened before he found out on television. She didn't want him to get hurt. However, Meadow overheard their conversation and was in absolute despair at the thought of her sister going into the Games to die. They have been inseparable all their life and all of a sudden that was going to prove against it. Meadow couldn't handle it and decided to take a major step. A step that landed her here. Since she was the Mayor's daughter, the District 11 escort stayed at their mansion. Meadow bribed her to announce her name during the reaping, mainly because volunteering would seem too suspicious and unnatural of her to do so. Of course the District 11 escort came under the influence of greed and followed her conditions. Meadow sacrificed herself to be with her sister. In life. Or. In death.

As I wipe the tear of Meadow's cheek, she plays with a bracelet. It is made of blue, purple and turquoise intertwining thread, accompanied with four charms. One of a flower. One of a dove. One of a heart. And one of a Mockingjay. She places brings her wrist towards her lips and kisses the charms, eyes closed and tears pouring out. I place my arm around her shoulder and bring her towards me.

"I know you miss her. I don't know what I would do without my brother either." I say.

"My sister. She's gone, Ashlyn. She is never coming back. She left me. I am all alone. All alone." She sobs, her voice trailing off, in my chest.

"Sh. She is in a better place. She is safe, from all the cruelties in life. But she is not happy." I say. Meadow looks at me, confused. "And do you know why?" I asks. She shakes her head. "Because you're not happy. Because you're crying. Now how could she possibly be happy looking at you like this." I say, wiping away her tears.

"I am happy Mink. I am happy for you. You're in a better place now. Keep smiling, Mink. I love you." She says, towards the Capitol made sky, kissing the heart charm on her charm bracelet. Meadow hops off to Durian. I look down at my hands and think about Rye. What must he be doing right now? Will he be watching me right now? What is he thinking of me? But all those questions are unanswered because I am not with him.

"You're really good with words." Mason says, as I watch him sit on the ground next to me.

"I get that from my dad."

"Yeah. You're a lot like Mr Mellark." He comments.

"That's not what everyone else thinks." I sigh. "They think I am an exact copy of my Mum that is except of my eyes."

"I wondered where these beautiful eyes come from. As deep as an ocean. Absolutely alluring." He praises. I playfully shove him away. "I'm serious."

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks for making me feel better." I say.

We sit there in silence for quite a while, just accompanied by the natural sounds of birds singing, leaves rustling and the wind blowing everywhere. Finally, we pack all our things in the backpacks and we get going to look around, to put up snares, hunt for animals and also try and find Keeth and Angus.

We walk, keeping the stream on our right, just so that we do not lose our only source of water. Occasionally, I set up snares, hoping that on the way back to our camp, we would have caught something and have some food. The snares are along the lines of our path. Meadow collects berries that we can eat, since she is the most knowledgeable when it comes to plants and berries. Mason kills animals that accidently cross the path of hungry tributes. We skin the animals and gut it and then hook it onto our belts. Soon enough we see the sun setting and we realise it is time to turn around, since we have collected enough food and on the way back we can check the snare line. Meadow squeals when she sees a rabbit caught by its leg, hanging upside down. A gruesome and frightening sight that only people who are accustomed to it can cope with. I calm her down only after laughing at her though. She reminds me so much of Rye, who literally had the same reaction, when he first saw the victim of his first snare. And I had the same reaction too. Gradually, the blue sky turned into a beautiful orange pink colour, as the sun begins to say goodnight. Despite the gorgeous scenery a certain eeriness flows through me at knowing the fact that it is soon going to turn dark and we are only have way there. The pink soon darkens into a pitch black sky, with fake glimmering stars lightening the sky and our way back. I especially need the stars because I am leading the group, with Meadow and Mason in the middle and Durian in the rear.

"We're almost there." I reassure. Mason and Meadow let out of sigh full of fatigue. "You alright, Durian?" I ask. Silence. "Durian?" I say. Silence. I turn around. No sign of Durian. Where did he go? Mason and Meadow look clueless also with a hint of worry. We walk back the way we came. We only have to go a few steps before I see and hear rustling of leaves behind a bush. I place my finger on my lips to make sure no one makes a sound. I gently part the leaves on the bush and surprisingly do not make a sound. When I look I am absolutely shocked. He is suffering so much. I see a boy, back to me, bent over a lying Durian, with a cloth over his mouth. That's why we didn't hear him. I see cuts all over his body. In parallel lines, crimson blood oozing out. Tears flow down my cheek. But at the same time anger floods through me. With no doubt in my mind, I take an arrow from my quiver, notch my bow, pull the string and without thinking I let go and watch the sharp object pierce the neck of Durian's enemy. I wipe the tears but it is futile. More tears just come out. I hear canon of the boy I just killed. I just took a life. I took a soul out of a human's life. I fall onto my knees, right next to Durian, taking off the clock from his mouth. Meadow is on the other side crying much more than me. I see the pain in her eyes. The pain of losing her loved ones. She sniffles numerous amount of times. She takes Durian's hand in hers.

"Ashlyn. Kill me. Please. Put me out of my suffering." This statement makes Meadow to tear up. "Hey, daisy. Don't cry for me. Please don't. You know I would rather die than be here. Please let me go." Meadow shakes her head. "Do this for your big brother, or do you not consider me a close friend?"

"I do Durian. You're like a big brother, but don't leave me. Don't leave me like Mink." She begs.

"Be happy for me daisy. I will go to a wonderful place and I will meet Mink. I will tell her not to be upset for you and I will make her laugh. J-j-just let m-me g-go." Durian says and stammers at the end. The blood loss is starting to affect him. Meadow takes Durian's hand and kisses the knuckle before letting go and standing up. "Ashlyn. Please." I shake my head. I cannot kill my friend. I won't be able to take the burden. "Ma-so-n?" Mason refuses too. "Do-don't m-make me s-s-s-suffer." He begs. I finally comply.

"I will make this easy. Believe me." I says.

"Everyone be-be-believes you." He says, right before I shoot an arrow right at his heart. The cannon signifies his death. His limbs stiffens, life escapes his eyes leaving an icy cold pair staring at absolutely nothing. I killed him. My hands tremble as they drop the bow. These hands took the life out of him. My ally. My friend. He is dead because of my bow. Because of my arrows. Because of me. I drop to my knees and place my hands on my face. I feel a hand on my shoulder. I try to ignore the presence of the hand. No one can make me feel any better about what I have done. I have blood on my hands. Bloods that cannot be washed away. It will stay with me forever. I-I-I-I have killed two people. I am a murderer. A cold blooded murderer. I feel so stupid. Stupid that I thought I could make Meadow feel better after she killed that boy. When in actual fact it doesn't get better. I know how she felt when she saw the eyes of that stranger.

"Ash. Meadow. It's time to go." He says. I wipe my tears and stand up. I cannot fall weak. I just can't. I will win for Durian. I press the left hand's three fingers on my lips and lift them high up. Another district salute. One more down. One more person dead. We take Durian's backpack and weapons. I follow Mason and Meadow towards the camp, my arm over Meadow the whole time. I cannot imagine what she must be going through at the moment. She lost her sister and her friend, who she deems as her brother. She is too young to face all this death and sadness. She doesn't deserve this. No one does. I wish everything could be normal like it was before. But then not all wishes are fulfilled. We walk in absolute silence until we find two strong trees by the stream. We unpack our stuff and have some rabbit for dinner. Luckily I have tried rabbit before but it isn't my favourite meat. It is incredibly dry so I need to take a sip of water after a couple of bites. However I do try to conserve the amount of water.

Suddenly I hear a loud noise. Boom! I jump in shock. A canon. Another dead. Keeth? Could it be Keeth? No. No. No. It can't be Keeth. We are meant to win together. He can't just leave me like that. No. No. No. No.

"Keeth?" I say out loud.

"Don't worry Ash. It won't be Keeth." Meadow says, placing her hand on mine.

"I hope it's not Keeth. I don't know what I'll do without him." I say. "Why was Durian calling you Daisy?"

"My nickname. Durian called Mink Tulip." She states and begins to feel upset. We decide that it is time to sleep, so Meadow scales the tree to sleep and I volunteer to keep watch. Mason says he will watch too, despite the amount of times I refused. We sit in silence again, until seal appears in the sky, along with the fallen. The first that comes up is the boy from District 4. When I see his smiling face, I recall the face that looked stiff and cold after I shot an arrow through their back. He is the boy I killed. But he is the boy that killed Durian. This is where I will find out if Keeth is alive or not. In tension I grasp Mason's hand and he squeezes it back. Next is the District 9 boy. I sigh in relief. It isn't Keeth. I know whose face will be in the sky next. I close my eyes tightly, not wanting to witness the face. I take short and quick breaths.

"It's over." Mason points out and I slowly open my eyes. "You're a great friend Ash."

"Why do you say that?"

"The way you care about Meadow. The way you cared about Durian when he was dying. Isn't that friendship?"

"Yeah it is. I know all of you for maybe a week. I don't know. I guess it is my personality. I trust a lot of people, the most important thing to me is trust. If someone breaks my trust, it breaks me. But I don't know why I feel like I can trust all of you with all with my life."

"Sometimes trust can be your biggest weakness."

 **A/N: Soooo...Long time no see. Now dont kill me for killing off Durian. I just had to do that. Sorry to all the people that loved Durian. He is quite emotional. Surprising actually. Mason seems a bit weird. But weird is alright right?**

 **Well anyway...I need a bit of help figuring out who should win the Games: I have 4 options...**

 **Keeth and Ashlyn**

 **Mason and Ashlyn**

 **Meadow and Ashlyn**

 **Just Ashlyn**

 **PM me or review your response because I really need to know what my valuable readers want.**

 **And one more thing before I say goodbye. Please review. I lolve knowing what you think so it is a humble request. Bye for now.**


	19. Tornado

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own the Hunger Games...;(**

 **A/N: Guys, I am so happy right now. The previous chapter response was absolutely amazing. 10 reviews. My highest for one chapter. Shoutouts to all my lovely reviewers. I read and appreciate all of them. Also about the ques I asked last week, you will find out which answer is winning by who dies...so suspense. So this is chapter 19...enjoy! And Review!**

 **Chapter 19.) Tornado**

"Sometimes trust can be your biggest weakness." Mason says _. Sometimes trust can be your biggest weakness,_ I think _._ What is that supposed to mean? It is probably nothing. I hope. I brush the comment off. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that."

"No, no. Don't worry. Actually my Mum says the same thing to me. She always worries about me. Probably same with you right." No response. Mason turns his head away from me and doesn't respond. Did I say anything wrong? In the limited light provided by the fake moon high in the sky, I see a tear roll down his cheek. "Mason. Look at me." He doesn't budge. "Mason." I say, putting my hand under his chin and turn it towards me. "Mason are you crying?" He wipes his tears.

"No." He says. "No I'm not crying. I don't cry."

"Why do all boys say they don't cry?" I scoff. "Now please don't lie to me Mason. If you're my friend you wouldn't. Why you crying?" I say, placing my hand over him. He turn to look at me, and we are so close that I can see the sadness and despair in his eyes. What happened to him?

"You're really lucky Ash. You have a perfect family. You have your Mum, Dad and brother. And then there's me, Ash. I don't have a Mum. She left me when I was 4. My older brother was 5. And my younger brother 2. She left all of us with our Dad. All we have of her is her diary. I don't. I don't even know how she looks."

"I'm really sorry Mason. I didn't know."

"It's not your fault. I am just really unlucky." He says.

"Don't say that. Everything in our lives happen for a good reason. If your Mum left, there must be something behind that. We don't know the reason. Maybe it would be good for her. I know its hard Mason. But sometimes the best thing to do in life is to be positive."

"Do you really think so?" He asks. I nod.

"I really do." I see a genuine smile on his face, which makes me smile too. There is a long silence between the two of us, until he breaks it.

"You and Keeth? Were you friends before the Games?" He asks, raising his eyebrow.

"No actually. In fact I didn't even know he existed until the reaping."

"But you two are so close and I believe I heard you say you two are best friends." He says.

"I don't really know how we became so close. He shared a lot about his life and I guess at that moment I felt like no one could be more sincere and honest. I felt like I could be myself in front of him. Whether it is crying or laughing. And then he tried to protect me by not letting me get distracted by getting him to survive. Isn't that friendship?" The audience is definitely eating this up. All of it.

"You love him don't you?" He asks. Why does everyone think I do?

"No. We're just really close friends. I mean can't two people not be friends?" I ask.

"They can. But this is different. I can see it in your eyes. The way your eyes well up when a canon goes off and you think it is Keeth. Everytime we talk about him, your eyes show a strange happiness." He comments. Is he right? Am I in love? I agree that I do cry thinking about Keeth and his name does bring a strange feeling but that's friendship. I told Keeth that I didn't. I couldn't. Was I lying to myself?

"No. No. I don't love him. I just can't." I say and I look away. I cannot talk about this right now. "I'm going off to sleep. Will you be able to keep watch by yourself?" I get up and get ready to climb.

"I'm sorry Ash." He says, grabbing my wrist. "Really." He says.

"No it's not your fault. I guess I have to just think everything through." I say and climb the tree.

I tie my backpack on a thick branch and then use the other piece of rope to secure myself too, just in case I decide to roll around as I wouldn't want to be woken up fallen on the ground. I rest my back on the trunk behind me and close my eyes, and transport myself away from this cruel place.

Blood. Drips of blood everywhere. It is leading somewhere. I follow the crimson red patches. Maybe I will be able to find out who it is. The patches begin to get bigger and redder. I'm getting close. It stops. Just before a bush. I part the leaves of the bush and there I find a vulnerable being suffering. Moaning in agony. In pain. He barely moves. Not even an inch. Who is this person? I place my hands on his arms and turn him around. I see his brown hair. What? No. It can't be. But it can. The appearance brings tears in my eyes. Oh those eyes. The blue orbs that are cold and still and that saddens my heart. No he is dying. Or is dead. He's left me. Keeth. I place my hands over my mouth to supress the scream, but I can't help it.

"Keeth!" I exclaim.

"Ashlyn." I hear as I feel a hand shake my arm.

"Keeth?" I ask.

"No Ash. It's Mason." He says and I feel my relieved heart beat in temporary happiness. He isn't dead. It was a nightmare. "Are you alright? You were mumbling in your sleep. I got worried." He says.

"Huh. Yeah. I'm fine. I just had a nightmare." I say, wiping away my tears. I try my best to look away from Mason who is currently trying his best to hold himself on the trunk of the tree. I just look along the dark arena. The stars are still shimmering in the dark blue sky. In the distance I can see something sparkle in the moonlight. When I focus more closely I see it is the Cornucopia. I guess I climbed onto the higher branch. Other than that I cannot seem to see anything else with all the tall trees and dense pack of leaves.

"Ash. Go off to sleep. I'll wake you up when I feel tired." I nod and watch him descend gracefully and place himself right under the tree. He has his sword in arm's reach. He looks so alert. So aware. Ready to protect us. I rest my head on the tree trunk and close my eyes. One usually finds peace when their eyes are closed but I just encounter torment. The images. Images of Durian. Of Keeth. Of Mink. Of the District 4 boy I killed. Images full of blood and gore. My eyes flash open. I won't be able to sleep. Not tonight at least. I untie my backpack and then myself and shove the rope into the bag. I swing the bag on my back and begin my descent. Thanks to my practice in the woods I am able to climb down effortlessly. I jump nearer to the ground and land right next to a dozing Mason. He opens his eyes instantly at the sound of my landing.

"Where'd you come from?" A sleepy Mason asks.

"Seems like you don't have hunter senses." I point out and he just chuckles. "I couldn't sleep so I thought I would take over the watch." He tries to convince me that he is fine and I should go back but then a yawn escapes his mouth and he gives in. I watch him escalate the tree and I perch myself in the exact spot Mason was sitting at. I have my bow and arrows within reach and my sheath of knives.

The breeze around me tingles my skin as I shudder slightly. I draw my knees to my chest and wrap my arms around them. This should keep me warm. I stare into space and the only thing in view is a bush. The silence unnerves me. It gives me the feeling that something will happen. That someone will jump out and attack. Every creek, growl or whimper causes me to jump. The sounds are everywhere. All around me. I can't escape them. A couple of hours just stagger by when the night sky finally turns into a light blue. I finally feel my heart at rest with the encounter of light but I was wrong. One noise changes it. One boom and one dead. One canon signals a death. And that is what I heard. A canon. Could it be Keeth? What if my nightmare turned out to be true? What if it is coming true? Was he in a pool of blood, letting out moans of agony? No. He is strong. He will survive. I know Keeth. He is too good to die.

Moments later I hear Meadow say my name. She flies down the tree and takes a seat next to me.

"The canon woke you up?" I ask. She nods. I fidget with the ends of my hair, thinking about Keeth. Whether he is alright? Every canon and every scream makes Keeth's unconscious image prop up in my head. I cannot take this anymore. I cannot keep worrying about him. I need to find him. We are friends and allies and I cannot leave him behind. Soon enough Mason wakes up and we decide to have some food. We have a lot of leftovers from yesterday's game, due to Durian's death. The food is quite cold and honestly heat would make the meat taste a lot better but we cannot risk the smoke being seen by a tribute. They will know where we are. We sit in silence until we hear a faint beeping. What is that? But my question is soon answered when a silver parachute lands in front of us. Mason dives write into the silver parachute, opens it up and confirms that it is from his District. He displays 6 bread rolls, seasoned with cinnamon. I smile at the happiness and surprise in Meadow's eyes. Finally, some decent food, I think to myself. We divide the 6 bread rolls between us. I eat all 2 of the rolls, even though deep inside I know that I should really save the food up but I cannot help it. Mason then goes off for some hunting, while Meadow and I decide to pack up the backpack so that when we leave we do not leave any traces of us behind.

"What are we planning on doing today? Because we have enough food." Meadow asks.

"We need to find Keeth and Angus, Meadow." I say.

"I was thinking about that too. But where are we going to find them in such a big arena." Meadow says.

"I don't know Meadow. But I know that we need to find them." I say.

After Mason arrives, with two rabbits and a squirrel, we explain to him what we really want to do but he seems to be hesitant. Who can blame him though? It would be a difficult task.

"Ash. It'll be too difficult. They could be anywhere. And if they're on the other side of the canyon it'll be impossible." He says, placing his hand on my shoulder.

"I know Mason. But we have to try. I don't know how long I could last until my worry of Keeth kills me. Please." I plead. "And I've already thought about it. We will walk down the edge of the canyon, just so we can see if they're on the other side." I try and convince him.

"Fine Ash. Let's leave now, so we can make it back before nightfall." He says and we set off. We manage to cross the stream easily by hopping over the rocks. Once Meadow safely makes it to the other side we decide to walk towards the canyon and then walk to the end of the arena. Maybe. Just maybe we will be able to find them. Mason leads us and I take the back, with Meadow in the middle. I make sure Meadow is always in front of me. We make sure the canyon is on our right so that we don't get lost or anything like that. We maintain a slight distance between us and the canyon, just so that if we do trip, we don't fall into the canyon of doom. It feels like we have been walking for hours. I feel the sweat trickle down my face and no matter how many times I wipe it off it ends up flowing down anyway. The sun is high in the sky and it seems like 1 in the afternoon. How far is the end of the arena? I feel like my limbs are about to fall off and I think Mason can sense this and he says that we should take some rest. I prop myself down on the dirt and stretch my limbs. I needed this moment of rest. I take the water bottle out of my bag and take a couple of sips of it and then shove it back in the bag. Suddenly a gust of wind hits us furiously. I shiver at the sudden weather change. All of a sudden I see trees wobbling uncontrollably. Leaves rustling and floating onto the ground. Dirt fills the air and even gets into my eyes. I cough to get the dirt out of system but in vain. I rub my eyes fiercely and eventually I am able to open my eyes properly. In front of my eyes is a violent rotating column of air that is sucking in everything in its path. It's a tornado. I watch as trees fall and bushed being pulled out of the dirt. It's heading our way. In instinct I run, grabbing onto Meadow's arm, pulling her along with me. Mason is in front of us running extremely fast. I let go of Meadow's arm, knowing that she needs to run herself and I cannot take the extra weight. But as soon as I let go she slows down further, leaving only some distance between the tornado and Meadow.

"Meadow!" I scream. I run back to pull her but Mason gets to her first and props her onto his back and pushes me on. I run as fast as my legs carry me but with Meadow on my mind constantly. I try and dodge every tree and bush but I end up running into a few. Despite my legs seeming to give up I carry on running. I turn to see Mason and Meadow just some distance behind me but with not a lot of distance from the tornado. I watch ahead and carry on running. I know we are still following where we are meant to go because the canyon is on my right.

"Ash" I hear Mason shout. "Force field!" He says and I stop in my tracks. With only a metre distance is the force field. One step and I would've been fried. Mason and Meadow stop next to me and we turn around to watch the tornado approach us. I take Mason's hand in mine and close my eyes as I feel the wind getting stronger. This is it. This is the end. I am going to die. Bye Rye. Bye Mum. Bye Dad. Bye Keeth.

But nothing happens. I feel the heat and silence capture me again. I open my eyes and there's nothing there. No tornado. Just some leaning trees. I take a few seconds to capture my breath before going on to take Mason and Meadow in my arms. We made it. We made it. But Mason places his index finger over his mouth and points on the other side of the canyon. I turn around to see a black tent. Someone's there. A tribute. We run to a bush and hide behind it to keep watch. I don't want to kill them but I think this is our only option.

"I hear footsteps there, Ash." Mason whispers, loading his bow with arrows and pulls the string ready for attack. We are quite a distance away but with the right amount of strength it will be able to hit. "I will shoot when I see them in sight." I nod in response.

After a couple of minutes wait we see a boy emerging from the trees. Back to us but with what I believe is dark brown hair. I watch Mason pull the string and aim at the boy. In his hand is an axe. An axe. Brown hair. Axe. Brown hair. Axe. No. It can't be.

"Mason stop!" I shout but it's too late as I watch the arrow escape the bow's clutches and rip through the air. I jump from behind the bush...

"Keeth!"

 **A/N: Oh no. Not Keeth, I shouted in my head when I wrote this. Watch out! Poor Keeth. I hope he doesn't die. So I know this chapter only had a little action but I feel these Games are based more on the emotional conflicts as well as the violence. But don't worry there will be violence. After all it is the Hunger Games. I wanted to add the conversation between Mason and Ash as they're getting to know each other. And OMG! Gale's wife left him. Mason's mother left him. Don't worry that info will be useful. I just want to reiterate how elated I am by the response of the previous chapter. I was literally jumping up and down in excitement. Thanks a lot guys. Ooops. I talked too much. But before I do I need to ask my question:**

 **Who do you want to win the Games?**

 **Keeth and Ash**

 **Mason and Ash**

 **Meadow and Ash**

 **Only Ash**

 **PM or review your response and along with that you're free to tell me about what you think of this story and any ideas or wishes. Review!**

 **Bye...for now ;)**


	20. Bridge to Love

**Disclaimer: If only I did own the Hunger Games….but I don't (sad face)**

 **A/N: Thanks for all the lovely reviews – 7 reviews. I know it isn't a lot but I love it, although I don't mind some more reviews. Shoutouts to: Frostdawn and SecretReader101, who reviewed. There were 5 more who were guests. Thanks once again and here is chapter 20 for you guys. Read and Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 20.) Bridge To Love**

 _"_ _Mason stop!" I shout but it's too late as I watch the arrow escape the bow's clutches. I jump from behind the bush._

 _"_ _Keeth!"_ I exclaim. No. He has to hear me. He needs to get out of the way. I watch him turn frantically at my voice and when he lays eyes on me a smile full of relief emerges on his face. I smile for a moment and then my expression shows worry and fear. "Duck!" I exclaim. He furrows his eyebrows in confusion but I think he spots the metal on the arrowhead gleam in the sunlight and his eyes immediately show alarm as he bends his knees and tucks his head in between. I cross my fingers and pray as I watch the arrow fly past his head. It flew past him. It didn't hit him. I rub my hands over my face as I feel tears escaping my eyes. It was close. Too close. I feel someone take my hand into theirs and another on my shoulder. I know Meadow is holding my hand as the hand is very petite. I watch Keeth slowly get up and look around fearfully. Then he spots me and his fearful expression turns into a happy and elated expression. He's alive and fine. No injuries, except from a cut on his head, which seems healed.

"Ashlyn." He says and nothing beyond that. "Wondered when you'd find us."

"It wasn't easy, so don't complain." I giggle. "Where's Angus?"

"Here." I hear and when I look I see Angus standing right beside Keeth. How did I not see him? Well, that was a bit embarrassing.

"Sorry." I apologise. "You don't know how glad I am to see both of you." It's true and I don't want to admit it, but I am so relieved to see Keeth. It was like some sort of void in my life when I didn't know where he was. Like a piece of myself missing. It was a strange fear or worry that something may happen to Keeth. That maybe he will leave my life and never come back. A feeling that I have only realised now. Maybe he is meant to be in my life. Maybe I was running away from this feeling that has always existed in me. The love I have towards Keeth. Maybe it existed the day he confessed his feelings to me. I love him. The strange feeling in my stomach when I see Keeth smile and hear his voice. Is that love? Is it love I am feeling for him? It has to be. That is the only feeling that can describe the feeling of warmth and security when he holds me in his arms. It's the feeling that encourages me and motivates me so much. It is the feeling I crave so much. Maybe I have an answer to Keeth.

"I was so worried about you. When we heard the tornado we decided to run back from hunting. We felt like we could hear your screams so we ran back." Keeth clarifies. What was the point of that tornado? Maybe to entertain the Capitol audiences. I guess only one death in the morning isn't gripping or engaging enough. Maybe they were trying to bring all the tributes closer… for more bloodshed. No. It can't be. The tornado should've been coming from the opposite side if they wanted us to go nearer to the Cornucopia, but it didn't. The tornado seemed to have past the Cornucopia to get towards us. So what was the point of pushing us further into the arena? What tricky tactics are the Gamemakers trying utilise? Was it so we form an alliance? They led us directly to Angus and Keeth. Was that intentional?

"What do we do now?" I ask the question everyone was probably thinking about right this moment. "We are on separate sides."

"Jump." Keeth says.

"Yeah because you will be able to jump that distance." Mason replies sarcastically.

"The only way through is from the Cornucopia. And I don't think that you would be able to make it through there alive." Meadow states.

No one speaks for a while, everyone thinking about ways for Keeth and Angus to make it over here. They need to be here. We are a team, and teams stick together. And I cannot leave Keeth behind. I wouldn't be able to. I look around us. There could be something. Something that would enable them to just walk across the canyon. Something like a bridge. But that isn't possible. I look around the place. Anything that could help them cross. Maybe there isn't a way. Or is there. I spot it. The way they can make it here. Without any more thought, my legs carry me to the leaning tree that had been half uprooted by the tornado. It is weak and is leaning towards the canyon. By looking at the tree it seems longer than the canyon. I think my plan can work. I hear footsteps and then I see Mason appear next to me. I don't even need to start explaining and he takes his sword out and begins his work to knock down the tree. I look at my weaponry. Arrows and knives. Nothing useful that would help the process.

"Ashlyn." Keeth says. I see him holding up his axe. That would be so useful right now. He orders us to move away and instantly he puts his arm back, take his stance, aims and with full force let's go of the axe. I watch it whiz past me and hit the tree. I walk up to the tree and with all my might I pull the axe out the trunk of the tree.

"Wow, Keeth. You've got some arm." I say, before I run up to Mason, who has already created a slit in the tree for his to saw against. I begin to get to work. I use my right arm and begin hitting at the trunk of the tree, near to the roots. We work vigorously for about an hour, with sweat trickling down our foreheads. I take a quick break to rest my aching arm more than anything else. I take a couple of sips of water, trying my best to preserve the valuable resource. Meadow decides to become useful and pick berries from a nearby bush, but I only let her a small distance away under my watchful eye, not paying heed to her requests about going further into the woods to get berries when we are hungry. Keeth and Angus decide to hunt, considering the fact that if the plan is successful, we will need a lot of food to feed the whole lot of us. After a half hour break Mason and I decide to get back to work. After another hour of hard labour we manage to make some progress with only a couple more hours of working. The routine of an hour of labour and a half hour break goes on for a couple of times until Mason declares that the tree is about to collapse. I take a step back to look at the limp tree tilted towards the canyon. It is vibrating ever so slightly. Mason is right. It is going to fall.

"Keeth! Angus!" I exclaim as they turn around immediately in alert. They are currently sitting down eating, from where I am, what seems to be squirrel. "Move!" I exclaim and they instantly gather their things are move onto the side. I hear a couple of roots and wood snap as it slowly makes its way to the ground. I cover my ears with my hands to block away the sound. As the tree makes contact with the ground, I watch the tree jump slightly before settling down onto the other side firmly. Uprooted and sprawled across the canyon, with it big broad limbs but no leaves, the tree stays in place, creating a, what I hope is a, sturdy bridge. Keeth and Angus run up to the tree and examine it for some time, thinking about whether they would be able to walk across.

"It seems strong enough." Angus informs.

"Are you sure?" Mason confirms.

"Nothing worse could happen." Keeth shrugs. They decide that Angus would go across first. Mason, Meadow and I run to our end of the tree and wait and pray. Angus, timidly, places his foot on the trunk and then after a lot of thinking puts all his body weight on it. Along with his body weight, Angus has a backpack and a sword. He brings his arms out to balance himself as he places his foot in front of him, one by one. He wobbles slightly in the middle, but gathers himself and carries on. As he approaches the end I feel my heart settling in relief. He jumps of the the trunk and I go to give him a hug. The happiness that my friend is here is shown in that hug. Angus goes on to Mason and Meadow, while I ask Keeth to come across.

Keeth, gingerly, stands on the trunk and slowly and carefully places his foot in front of him and walk across. My eyes just stay fixed onto Keeth and his feet. He has to make it. Keeth seems focused on a certain point, and as much as I want to encourage Keeth and motivate him to get across, I know that I would just disrupt his focus. However, it has already been disturbed. By a screech. Keeth turns his head around to see the origin of the noise and due to that wobbles but ends up holding himself up. I hear the bushes rustle noisily. I watch as an absurd creature jumps out from behind the bushes. It has a massive hooked beak, powerful talons, piercing eyes, like an eagle. But instead of a white body it has a grey fur and markings all over its body. It has a long bushy tail and in the beak are razor sharp teeth. Half eagle. Half wolf. The creature stretches back and then begins to run. Towards the tree. Towards Keeth.

"Mutt!" I shout. "Keeth run!" Without thinking, Keeth turns around and begins to walk faster, not being able to run, without having to fall into a deep canyon of nowhere. My eyes move between the mutt and Keeth, with the mutt gaining on Keeth. The creature is approaching the tree. I just hope it doesn't reach Keeth. Keeth is almost at the end of the tree, however he is struggling to keep his balance. Now I watch the mutt mount onto the trunk and I silently pray that Keeth makes it to the end. I absentmindedly walk towards the tree and climb onto it and stretch my arm out to Keeth who also does the same. As soon as I grab onto his hand a whole new sensation flows through me. A strange feeling of warmth and security. I feel my stomach flutter. Butterflies. I am getting butterflies. I put aside these feelings and pull Keeth to the end and we jump of the trunk. I let out a sigh of relief. I want to just pull Keeth into a hug but we have other things to deal with.

The mutt steadily walks across the tree. I turn to Mason and then to Angus and Keeth and nod. We know what we need to do. We gather at the end of the tree and with a countdown we put all our might and strength into pushing the tree down. I lose my legging several times but manage to stand up and help push the tree down again. The progress is slow and my heart races as I watch the creature get closer and even closer. We are about to shove the tree into the canyon, when the mutt reaches us. I hear it screech, which startles and then the unexpected happens. It raises its sharp talons and swipes at me. I dodge it once and then approach it again to shove it down the canyon. But it swipes again, causing me to jump back again. The boys have also stepped back, but I cannot give up. I know this creature is too powerful for us and can overpower us. I try again and jump to the tree and manage to push the tree some more. At the movement the half eagle, half wolf creature swipes at me and rips apart some of my skin on my forehead on the left. I could feel the crimson red blood ooze out of the wound but that isn't what is important. I take a deep breath and with one shove the tree into the canyon. I hear the creature shriek in fear, which gives me a strange sense of pleasure that it won't harm us again.

I wipe of the blood flowing down my cheek and turn around to the guys, who are clearly dumfound at my presentation of strength. But I ignore their speechless expressions and run up to Keeth. I wrap my arms around his neck to give him a hug. Keeth is startled for a moment and doesn't react but after some time he places his hands on my waist. I don't let go. I love this feeling. The feeling of eternal bliss. I feel like all the fears around us disappear at his touch. It's a strange fire inside of me as soon as I feel his touch. I want to always feel like this. I feel like I can just hold onto Keeth forever. And never to let go.

"Woah. Someone's happy to see me." Keeth comments, and I let go of him, embarrassed. Embarrassed at the fact that the rest of our allies are eyeing us.

"Well. I am extremely happy we met you." Angus says. "If I would've heard Keeth worry about you after every single canon, I swear I would've taped his mouth." I laugh at that, knowing that Keeth reacted the same way.

"Ohh." I say, looking at Keeth. "Someone was terrified."

"Well, Ash. You were worse. She would go on about the possibility of you being dead. And then at night she would mutter your name." Mason says, and I punch him gently on his arm.

"I think we should move." Meadow suggests, and we gather our things and weapons and begin to head back to our camp, where we should be safe. Mason deals with the deep cut on my forehead by dabbing some anti-septic on my wound and then plastering it up. We set off towards the camp. Keeth and I walk at the end in pairs.

"Well. At least I know that someone was missing their best friend." Keeth points out as we keep up to Angus' pace. He is incredibly fast.

"I wasn't missing my best friend." I answer honestly.

"What?" Keeth says.

"I have an answer." I say, looking down. No answer. I look up. Keeth looks confused at what I said. "To what you asked on the night on the roof."

"And what is that?" Keeth asks.

"I love you too, Keeth."

 **A/N: Finally. Finally she realised her love for Keeth Ambertson. I loved writing this chapter. I felt so happy talking about the love between Keeth and Ash. Keeth was about to die twice in this chapter. Sorry to all the Keeth fans, but some tension is necessary. I mean it wouldn't be engaging for you without some suspense and thrill. Anyways, the next chapter is going to be some Keeth and Ashlyn drama and then some action that you will love. I am sure of it. About the question I asked, I currently have a clear winner but the question is still open and responses are always welcome.**

 **Who do you want to win the Games?**

 **Keeth and Ash**

 **Mason and Ash**

 **Meadow and Ash**

 **Review, review and review. I love your reviews so much guys!...Bye for now.**


	21. Mutt!

**Disclaimer: If I owned the Hunger Games I would write a fourth book.**

 **A/N: Hey guys. I got enough time to update sooner...so here you are guys. But before that I would like to say that I get the feeling that you don't like the way the story is going. I barely get any reviews and I feel like my story isn't good enough. Please review. And enjoy!**

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 **Chapter 21.) Mutt!**

 _"_ _I love you too Keeth."_ I whisper in a barely audible volume. I don't want the Capitol audience to be in this moment meant for only Keeth and me. It is our moment. With no second of delay he pulls me into a tight hug as he wraps his arms around my waist and buries his face on my shoulder. I place my arms on the back of his neck and just cherish this moment.

"I don't know what I'd do without you." Keeth whispers in my hair.

"Me neither." I say. We realise that the group has walked on without us so reluctantly we let go and run to catch up to them. After an hour of walking we decide to set up a camp since it is getting dark and there are many trees here that haven't been knocked over by the tornado. We sit on the ground in a circle, weapons in reach and begin our meal. Keeth and Angus managed to collect a feast for us before they walked over the bridge, and even though it is cold, food is food and this is something we need a lot. We decide that tomorrow we wil find the cave my parents were in during their Games as we need the shelter.

We are about to sleep, when the anthem begins to play. In the sky today is the District 4 girl and the District 6 girl. At the sight of her in the sky, Keeth looks down in shame. I don't even need to ask him what's wrong because I know he probably killed her. I do not recall hearing another canon but it might've sounded during the tornado. I give them the district 12 salute. Just because I didn't know them doesn't mean they don't deserve some respect. Right now there are only 9 of us. But only 4 of us that aren't part of this alliance. The time to split up is coming soon. I cannot believe that in 3 days 15 people have died. Innocent children who haven't even seen the world yet, getting stuck in a place full of death. In a sombre silence we decide to sleep. I volunteer to keep watch, knowing that trying to sleep will only bring nightmares and I am not strong enough to face them yet. Angus volunteers to keep watch along with me and although Keeth wanted to keep watch with me I refused saying he needs some sleep. Angus and I sit side by side using the tree trunk as a back rest.

"Mink was so sweet." Angus says in the silence. "I barely knew her, but she brought a smile to my face. She had that laugh. That smile that would make my mood better. Every time."

"Do you know what happened?" I ask.

"She told me after we were reaped." He says. "Do you know how she died?" He asks me. I shrug. "Neither do I."

There is a silence between us again.

"Keeth really loves you." Angus says. I turn to look at him. "He would always talk about you. Everything about you." I just smile in response. There isn't much I could say to reply anyway.

"Is there anyone waiting for you back home?" I ask, trying to change the topic.

"My parents. I have a younger sister and an older brother. I am really protective about my sister. There was once a time when she said she liked a guy and I ended up beating him up. After a day I realised that I was stupid, but I cannot bear the thought of sharing my sister with anyone." I watch him smile at the memory. This is the real Angus. The happy, smiling Angus. "You?" He asks.

"Well. My mum and dad. I miss baking with my Dad and well spending time with Mum. They are both really protective over both me and my brother. And what do I say about Rye. He is like the mixture of innocence and mischief. He is truly a handful. But he is my life. I cannot do anything without him." I say and I catch myself smiling. Talking about family really brings a smile to your face. It brings a strange warmth inside talking about family. Just the memory of them. I hope I will see them again. Everyone.

"Durian. What happened to him?" Angus asks me. At the sound of his name I look down at my hands. I cannot face him.

"We went to hunt for food that day and then when we were walking back I was in the lead and Durian was at the back. After sometime we didn't hear Durian respond and when we turned he wasn't there. Instantly, we turned to look for him and we found him behind a bush, w-with c-c-cuts all o-o-over his b-b-body. There w-was a boy over him. I killed him. I was just really angry. I didn't want to. Durian was suffering. He was dying and he asked us to put him out of his misery. I did it. I stopped his heart beating. It was my arrow that caused him to d-d-die." I say and I bury my face in my hands. I feel Angus' arm over my shoulder as he rubs it consolingly.

"It's not your fault Ash. Don't blame yourself for it." He consoles.

"I wish I could convince myself the same." We sit in silence again, only accompanied by the night sounds of crickets and scurrying animals. All of a sudden I hear a large thump on my right-hand side. I grab my bow, load it with an arrow and aim but when I see the face I lower my weapon.

"Couldn't sleep." Keeth states.

"Nightmares?" I ask and he simply nods.

"One of you can go to sleep. I'll keep watch." Keeth says and I volunteer to stay. Angus understands and without questioning he gets up and after a lot of struggling manages to climb the tree. I stare into the darkness and lean my head onto Keeth's shoulder. It seems like his shoulder has been designed for my head, it just seems so perfect.

"You know. There was always this one day at the orphanage I would wait for. You know what it was?" He asks. I shake my head. "Party day. The day we would get presents. The day we would get treats and games. But that's not why I would look forward to it."

"Then what was it?" I ask, curiously.

"You. Every month you hop along to the orphanage with the big smile on your face and enthusiasm on your back. You were so lively that it would make us forget our sorrows. In your hand would be the bouquet of white and purple lilies that I used to love. You would place those lilies in the vase and every day I would water them, trying to extend their life. Why? Because they reminded me of you." He says and his words just caused my insides to melt. I need him. I need Keeth.

I lift my head from his shoulder and begin to lean in. I feel Keeth's hand cupping my cheek as he brings my head forward. We are so close I can feel his hot breath tickling my face. I just wait. Wait for our lips to become one. To join. And they do. I part my lips slightly and Keeth puts his bottom lip in between. I begin to kiss him like there is no tomorrow. That this is my last kiss with Keeth. I strange fire urges in me. The fire to have him. To have Keeth with me. I am the one to pull back. But I just look into Keeth's eyes. I just gaze into them. Right now. There is love. Love for me.

I look away though. It felt like it was too soon but the Capitol's watching and as much as I know that this is going to be eaten up by them and it could work in our favour, but I don't want them in between something that is just ours. My parents. Mum and Dad probably don't want to see me kissing a guy in front of the whole country. Even though they have done it in their Games, I know they wouldn't appreciate their daughter doing them same. Especially Dad because he has always been slightly overprotective of me.

There is silence between the two of us. I simply stare at the ground, impassively, until Keeth speaks. "Do you know about Meadow and Mink? About them being twins?"

"Yeah. Durian told me. Angus told you?" I ask. He nods. "Can you believe this? That two inseparable sister were torn apart. That two loved ones cannot even stay together. There's no sympathy. No emotions. This is cruel Keeth."

"This is where we live Ashlyn." Keeth states the obvious.

"Why? Why can't we change that? Why should we live in a despicable world where we are simply flies, and are just dusted off? We have the power. We have the strength. The only things we don't have is courage and hope. But we can do it, Keeth. We can make a world of our own. An honest world. A better world. All we need to do it become united." I say in one breath…without thinking. What did I just do? I just provoked the Capitol. And the Gamemakers. And Aquilo. I am so stupid. I not only put my life in danger, I put my entire alliance's life at stake. Keeth has a shocked and worried expression. He is thinking about the same thing. Before we can say anything, something distracts me. A noise. An awfully familiar noise. A screech. In close proximity. I shake Keeth's arm.

"Keeth? Do you hear that?" I ask.

"No. There's nothing." Is it in my mind?

"The screeching." We stay silent for some time and this time the noise is evident. "Wake the rest of them up." I whisper. I pick up my bow and load it with an arrow and take my stance. I hear faint noises from the tree of about 3 pairs of legs. They all join me with their weapons. Angus and Mason draw their swords, Meadow her slingshot and Keeth his axe. We stand in a sort of semi-circle around the tree from where the sound is sourcing from, allowing us to get a view of everyone in our alliance. Angus, Mason and Meadow look confused but as soon as I mouth the word "mutt" they understand and stand firmly in place. The screeching starts again, unexpectedly, which makes me jump slightly. From behind the tree appears razor- sharp talons protruding from its hair paw. The next thing that appears is its hooked-beak and squinted but focused red eyes. It walks elegantly towards us, with its hairy body and bushy tail follow behind him, but none of us move so we do not provoke the mutt. Another encounter. Out from the other side of the tree, another hooked beak, another pair of eyes and another bushy tail appears. And another. And another. And another. With a grand total of 5. A mutt per person. They stand in front of us, impassive. They are not provoked. Maybe they won't do anything. But I am a fool if I think so. The first one screeches loudly, followed by the others. This is how they communicate. In the next moment one creature leaps and captures Angus on the ground. Angus wriggles out the creature's clutches, spins and kicks the mutt's beak before plunging its sword into its heart. If it has a heart. I am so astounded by the sight I don't realise that the mutt has pounced on Mason and Keeth. Without thinking I draw the bow and release, killing both the mutts. Keeth and Angus roll the dead creature off of themselves and regain themselves. A few more mutts appear for us to tackle. Simultaneously, they jump, taking down all the boys. I draw my bow and am about to release when I hear a scream.

"Ash! Help!" I hear. Meadow. Behind me a mutt has overpowered the little girl and has scratched her skin off. I run up to her, aim my arrows and fire. I shoot a couple before its life ends. I get the mutt of Meadow with a lot of difficulty and offer my hand for support to get up. Painfully, she reaches for my hand but it doesn't reach.

I feel a force against my body as it is pushed down to the ground. My back and head hit the solid ground at great speed and force. I feel my bow and arrows fly away from my hand. I open my eyes and see bloody jaws in the hooked beak of the mutt. Its breath reeks and caused me to turn my head away. It growls fiercely and then lets out an ear-piercing screech. I wriggle and toss and turn but cannot get out of its clutches. Its weight on me doesn't allow me to reach my knives hooked around my waist. Its sharp talons reach for my face and digs its talons deep into my skin. I wince at the burning pain of my skin being peeled of and the feeling of blood flowing down my face. The creature peels of the plaster from the injury it gave me earlier and starts peeling my skin from there.

Tears flow freely from my eyes in pain and agony. I let out a painful scream. Images start to blur. I can see movement. Is that a person or another mutt? It has to be a mutt. I am going to die. I feel the mutt being dragged off of my body but not before it tears off the skin from my legs. The whole world begins to spin. The trees moving around in circles. Leaves and twigs moving too. Is this what it feels like to die? I feel my eyes drooping and no matter how hard I try I cannot keep it open. I feel a hand on my cheek and a surge of pain flows through me again. I should go. I cannot feel this pain. I don't fight the urge to close my eyes again and as they droop I begin to see images. My whole life flashes before my eyes. Mum. Dad. Rye. Uncle Haymitch. Aunt Effie. Jesse. Amethyst. Justice. Mink. Durian. Angus. Meadow. Mason. And most importantly Keeth. The people I love. Goodbye.

The images dissolve in my mind. All there is now is….darkness.

 **Review!**


	22. Heartbroken

**Disclaimer: I unfortunately don't own the Hunger Games.**

 **A/N: Finally. We are on 50 reviews. Thanks to all of you. So this is Chapter 22...but just a warning I almost cried when I wrote this. Enjoy!**

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 **Heartbroken**

Darkness. And Darkness. And Darkness.

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Images. People I love dying over and over.

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I am all by myself. All alone. In a dark world.

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My eyes gently flutter open but squints at the light. I squirm on what I believe is a cold and hard floor. I hear voices.

"You're awake." I hear a voice. Mason. I watch him run towards me and sits down beside me. I try and get up. "Here." He says, as he places his hand on my back and helps me sit up. "Let me help you." I nod a thanks.

I look around. The cave. They made it to the cave. It's just like the one Mum and Dad were in. Exactly the same. The entrance is covered by a boulder with just enough room for someone to crawl in. Mason takes a seat next to me but doesn't say anything. Where's everyone else? Meadow? Angus? Keeth? No one seems to be seen. How many days have I been out? The silence is interrupted by my rumbling stomach. I guess it has been lot of days. Mason silently hands me a piece of cold rabbit leg and without complaining I take a bite. Anything to fill my hunger I guess.

Soon, Angus crawls into the cave, with two squirrels hooked to his belt. The sight of me awake surprises Angus.

"I can't believe it. You're finally awake." He says, running up to me, taking me into an embrace. I want to say thanks. I want to say hi. But I can't.

"Where's Meadow? And Keeth?" I ask the question in my head. Angus and Mason just look at each other. But no answer. "Where are they? How many days have I been out?" I ask increasing my tone. They just look at me. Blank. Hurriedly, I stand up, but end up feeling a little light-headed and place my hand on the cave for support. A fright and worry spreads through me. "Please. Tell me. I deserve to know. But only the truth." My voice sounding extremely sad.

Mason stand up. "Okay. We'll tell you. But first take a seat." He says, pulling me down with him. Angus takes a seat in front of me. "Okay. You've been out for 3 days."

"What?" I say. Was I that serious?

Mason answers. "Yeah. The mutt injured you quite badly. Um. There were only minor scratches of your face by the mutt. You went unconscious due to blood loss. We killed the mutt that scratched you but then the creatures came in a huge mass. We were all trying to hold them off, but then one mutt slipped past us and bit your leg. Really badly. It ripped of a lot of your skin and you had a lot blood loss. Once we killed off all the mutts we managed to find the cave and carry you there, since we needed more protection for you from other tributes. You were very serious and close to death. Keeth and Meadow were very worried for you. We lost all hope, until a parachute came through. It had a needle and thread to stick your skin together. It had cream, which was really effective and practically healed your leg completely by the 2nd day. But then you started to develop a fever. A high fever. Yesterday, pills were sent through sponsors. That's probably why you became conscious today." After he finishes talking I check my leg and see the scar. A line through the middle of my leg. "We removed the stitches."

"But you still didn't answer my question. Where's Keeth and Meadow?"

"They're-they're with the careers."

"What!" I practically scream. "How? Are they alright?"

"It was yesterday. Meadow and Keeth went hunting yesterday evening. Everything seemed fine. Until, night came and they still didn't come back. We searched the entire area but they were nowhere. We were terrified. We thought they were captured by the Careers, which is why Angus went to check on them. And…"

"And?" I urge.

"They were there, both of them." Angus says. I bury my face in my hands.

"I hope they aren't torturing Meadow or Keeth."

"No. At least not Keeth." Angus says.

"What do you mean?" I question.

"Keeth wasn't captured by the Careers. He is part of it." Mason says.

"No. No. You're lying. He wouldn't do that. You're liars." I rant.

"We saw it Ash. He wasn't tied up, like Meadow was. He was standing up strong, right in front of the Careers. Why would they let him roam freely if he were captured?" Mason asks. I shrug.

"You're mistaken. Yes. That's it. You're not lying. You just misunderstood the situation." I defend.

"There cannot possibly be another explanation." Angus says.

I stand up and just pace around the cave. Keeth cannot deceive me. They're lying. I know it. I cannot trust them.

"I need to see it myself." I conclude.

"Ash. Are you sure? Are you sure you'll be able to handle it? If what we say is true?" Mason asks. I painfully nod. I don't know what I'll do if it is true.

"If it is true, we'll still need to rescue Meadow. No matter who I need to go through." I painfully say. I feel tears spiking out but I control.

"We don't need to." Mason walks over and places his hand on my shoulder. I turn to face him.

"Yes. Yes we do." I speak slowly.

We decide to leave in some time, considering that it is early in the morning and I decide to check all my weapons. I have about 9 knives and 7 arrows. We still have two bows, but there is no axe. Of course there isn't. Keeth has it. I am not sure who to believe. Mason and Angus or my trust in Keeth. I don't know. This is all just really taxing. Keeth would never leave me. And would definitely not join the blood-thirsty Careers. Keeth isn't cold-hearted like those tributes. He was probably captured by the Careers. If he was I hope he is fine. I hope they didn't torture him or little Meadow. Oh sweet Meadow. How must she be coping? I hope they aren't hurting her. She has gone through too much to be suffering again. It's like Mason can understand what I am thinking about, as he puts his hand on my shoulder.

"They'll be fine. I am sure about it." He says reassuringly. I simply nod.

"I am sorry. I am sorry for shouting at you. Calling you liars. I was just…"

"I understand. Anyone would be upset if you call the person they love a traitor." He says.

"How did you know?" I question.

"Oh come on Ash. It was obvious. The way you look at each other. The way you care about each other. I am pretty sure everyone knows. And I know, a guy that loves someone so much can never betray them." He reassures. In instinct, I take him into an embrace as a thank you. For consoling me. And for supporting me.

We sit in silence again, leaving me with only my thoughts. Angus has half a squirrel and shares the other half with me, saying that I need to eat, considering I haven't eaten for three days. However, I am not hungry, but just to please him I stuff myself. I guess I will need a lot of energy if we have to rescue Meadow and Keeth. I take sips of water in between since the squirrel is quite dry. Once we are done eating we pack our bags and arm ourselves with our weapons and we head off. We hide the opening before we leave. Angus takes the lead this time and Mason the rear. Despite volunteering to take the lead, both boys refuse saying that I am still weak. But I am not weak. At least I don't feel weak. As we walk a question props up in my head.

"Hey. Um. How many people died in the three days?" I ask.

"1." Angus says, confidently.

"Only one?" I ask surprisingly.

"Yeah. It was the District 6 male." I nod.

"So we are down to the final 8." I state and they nod in response. Chase, Amelia, Mason, Paige, Angus, Meadow, Keeth and I. Two alliances and Paige. I wonder how she has survived for so long.

The walk to the Cornucopia takes about an hour. It is still morning. We have a long day ahead of us, I think to myself. We tread silently and especially as we approach the Cornucopia. I have the quality to walk soundlessly – the benefits of being a huntress. I wish I were in the woods at home. My woods. Before the reinstating. Just having a laugh with Jesse. We would just be talking to each other, teasing each other and then eventually hunting together. Those events just make me want to go back in time – where everything was just normal. I had my friends – Jesse and Amethyst – and my family. But I can't. I can't wish for that to happen. If I did, I'd lose Keeth. He would be no more than a stranger to me, and I would never wish for that, no matter what happens. I could never want Keeth to go away from me. I want to hold him close and never let go. And I wish and hope that Keeth feels the same way.

My thoughts are interrupted when I see Angus' arm out to stop us walking. He turns around and places his index finger over his lips. We don't say a word. Angus crouches down behind a bush that conceals us very well since there are a couple of trees in front of us that don't block our view but covers us well. We peak from behind the bush to see the Cornucopia. There it is. The Careers. We are close enough to see and hear everything, thankfully. My eyes scan the place for Meadow or Keeth.

On the side is a small figure, whose back is leaning against the Cornucopia, and whose hands and legs are tied up. The girl has her knees drawn to her chest and her chin leaning on her knees. Her legs jitter and tremble. Meadow. Sweet Meadow, suffering and captured. She doesn't deserve this. She has been tortured, probably just to find us and kill us. I guess Keeth and Meadow ventured out far from the cave when they were caught by Amelia and Chase.

My eyes move from the left to the right to see three figures standing tall and strong in front of each other. All having a conversation. One is Chase, District 1. One is Amelia, District 2. And…Keeth. The boys they were right. Keeth isn't tied up at all. He is standing powerful and strong, seeming unaffected by the Careers and anything else happening. Has Keeth truly joined the Careers? No. Trust him, Ash. He won't do that to you. But then why isn't he tied up? Why is he just standing in front of them? Keeth is strong. He could take both of them down right away. Then why? Has he betrayed me? Stop it Ash. Don't jump to conclusions. Trust your friendship with Keeth. He probably has a good explanation for this. There has to be something. I finally come to the real world to see Chase and Keeth talking to each other.

"Why do you want us here? Why not just kill us? Torture me not Meadow. Let her go." Keeth asks. So he hasn't joined the Careers. But still. Why is he so well and fine?

"We're in the Hunger Games. Of course I'll kill you. But first I need to know about your sweet girlfriend. Oh, what's her name? Oh yeah. Ashlyn Mellark." Chase threatens. "And if you don't tell us where she is, your sweet little friend, along with all the other people you love, will pay." Chase gestures to Amelia who holds a knife by Meadow's neck and takes a step forward.

"You don't need to threaten me. I would've told you anyway." Keeth says. What? He would've just given me up to the Careers.

"Oh I thought you cared about the person you love so much." Chase remarks. Keeth looks at Chase coldly and seriously.

"I don't care about her. Whether she lives or dies – she has no meaning. I was just using the girl. She means absolutely nothing to me." He says, sounding so genuine that it shocks me. "I don't love Ashlyn Mellark." He shouts.

And in one moment my heart shatters…

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 **Review!**


	23. Betrayal

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, otherwise I would've written a fourth book**

 **A.N: Thanks for the reviews! This is a long chapter but just a warning that the chapter is quite sad, especially for Ash but still ...enjoy!**

* * *

 **Betrayal**

 _"I don't care about her. Whether she lives or dies – she has no meaning. I was just using the girl. She means absolutely nothing to me." He says, sounding so genuine that it shocks me. "I don't love Ashlyn Mellark." He shouts._

 _In one moment my heart shatters…_

No. This can't be happening. This is a lie. What I am hearing is a lie. But it's true. I heard him say it myself. His voice was so genuine – no lie detected. His expression was as hard as stone and cold. Maybe it is the truth. That Keeth was using me the whole time. No. No. Ash, trust your friendship. Trust the person you love. No. I heard him. I am so confused. I don't know what to do. I take a couple of steps back. Mason takes my hand and squeezes it to make me feel better. I feel like a piece of my heart has been ripped away from me because of Keeth. Because of his confession. Tears threaten to trickle from my eyes but I control them. I need to be strong. Strong enough to rescue Meadow, if not Keeth. I control myself, close my eyes to settle myself down and then concentrate on what is going on. Amelia still holds a knife near Meadow's neck, who is quivering and begging for Amelia to make it quick for her. No. That's not going to happen. Meadow is not going die. I will win, maybe not with Keeth, but with Meadow. This innocent and bright child needs to live her life – happily.

Currently Amelia is towering over Meadow who is sitting against the Cornucopia. Their stock pile filled with food, water and other resources are near them. Chase and Keeth are about twenty feet away from them. I take my bow from my shoulder, notch it with an arrow. I look at Mason and nod as he takes his bow and loads and arrow and aims. I aim at Amelia and Mason aims at Chase. We slowly stand up so that we can charge at them once attacking. I shut my left eye to get better aim. I target Amelia's heart so that I can give her the least pain during her death. I cannot let her suffer throughout – it isn't fair for her or anyone. I take a deep breath. My heart races at the thought of killing someone. Even though I killed the boy from 4 with no doubt in my mind, I still regret it. I still feel guilty. And I don't want the feeling in me again. It is a huge burden, weighing down my heart. It makes breathing difficult knowing that another person has stopped breathing because of you. It makes living difficult knowing that another person's life has gone due to you. I turn to look at Mason once again and he nods.

"Now." He says, as I pull the string far so that the arrow can get more distance and then release at the same time as Mason. I watch the arrow slice through the air. The three of us make a run towards Meadow. I watch Amelia turn her head and her eyes widen at the sight of the metal racing towards her. As I run, I load my bow just in case the previous arrow doesn't hit her. I realise that Angus and Mason are no longer at my side. I guess they went to take care of Chase – and maybe Keeth. Amelia's screams fill the air as the arrow plants itself on the side of her stomach. Painfully her trembling hands pull out the arrow from the side of the stomach. The Career training probably makes her very strong. I stop running when there is only ten feet difference between us. She is bleeding heavily as she tries to stop the blood loss with her hand. She pulls out a knife from the sheath wrapped around her wrist and weakly attempts to throw it at me. I take a step back when she releases and the knife lands right in front of me. I pull the string of the bow again and release the arrow and it lodges itself on her stomach. She falls to the ground with a large thud. She lies still and, thinking that she is now dead I run up to Meadow.

"Meadow I am so glad you're…" I say but stop at the sight of her shaking hands and the blood flowing from her slit neck. Amelia did do her job before we attacked her. Meadow as tears in her eyes as the look up at me, with sorrow. My eyes fill with tears at the sight of her beautiful eyes filled with tears. She is dying painfully. She is suffering. She is feeling the pain that she never should've felt in her life. I crouch down next to her, untie her hands and legs and let her place her head on my lap. I caress her cheek lovingly and then wipe away the tears from her eyes and then mine. "It's alright Meadow. You're going into a better place now. You will meet Mink. Imagine how happy she will be when she sees you. No one and I mean no one can separate the two of you." I choke the last words due to my tears.

"Ash. Win. Please. Sh-sh-show th-them that you a-a-are stronger than they a-a-are." She tells me. I will for her. I will make sure that no one suffers like her. "Here." She takes over her charm bracelet and hands it to me. Her district token. "Please take this."

"I will Meadow. Only for you." I say as I plant a kiss on her forehead.

"And, Ash. D-d-don't trust…" She begins as her quivering arms raises and she points towards the direction of Mason, Keeth and Angus but then silence. Her eyes are still. Her limbs are still. Her heart is not beating. She has gone. She is dead. I place my hands on her eyes to close them and then kiss her forehead once again. I stand up and gently place Meadow's head on the ground. Two canons sound and I assume that it is Amelia and Meadow's. Who was she warning me about? Keeth? Mason? Angus? No it can't be Angus. Meadow trusted him with Mink during training. Keeth or Mason? It has to be Keeth. It is the only one that makes sense. I heard him right now. He betrayed me and now Meadow just confirmed it.

When I turn around I see that Chase is no longer there, but there is Keeth on the ground and Mason hovering a sword over him. I run over to them and grab Mason's arm before he kills Keeth.

"Don't." I beg Mason and shake my head, my eyes filled with tears. As much as I hate Keeth for betraying me, I won't be able to see Keeth dead. I love him. And no matter what I cannot betray myself for killing the person I love. "Please." I please. Mason drops his sword on the side and the three of take a step back for Keeth to get up. While he gets up I notice that he has been injured. He has been sliced on his upper left arm. At least it isn't his axe-throwing arm. Stop, Ash. You don't need to look out for him or care for him. To Keeth you are no one, I keep telling myself. Once he is standing, we steps close to me. He places his hand on my right cheek.

"Thanks for saving my…" He starts but I push him away.

"Stay away from me. I heard what you said and if I see you again I don't know what I'll do." I reluctantly threaten. I know that eventually I will have to kill him or someone else will because I wouldn't be able to survive with seeing with Keeth every day and every event of my life. It will just break my heart every time I see him. Keeth looks at me for a few more seconds before taking off into the woods, behind the trees. I guess most of the tributes are on our side of the canyon and if they are on the other side they can easily climb the Cornucopia to get here, now that there are no Careers who will stay here.

"Chase?" I question Angus and Mason.

"We sliced his leg and arm but he still managed to run away into the woods." Angus replies.

Our eyes catch the stock pile on the side of the Cornucopia and we unanimously agree on keeping what we need and then dumping the rest of the resources into the acidic lake. It takes a couple of trips between us but we manage to dump everything except for some meat and some water and medical supplies into the lake and watch it deform and then sink.

"Are we going back to the cave?" I ask.

"I was actually thinking. There's only six of us left and I think that it's time to split up." Angus suggests. I take a deep breath and nod. Today is not a good day for me. I guess it really is time to lose my friends. I will be all alone now. Fighting with other tributes, hunger and my own emotions.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye." I say. "None of us hunt for each other, unless it comes down to the three of us?" I ask, and both boys nod. Angus is the first to walk away and he walks in the complete opposite direction to the woods. I turn around and decide to make my way to the cave. Keeth and Mason and Angus already know about the cave and if they attack, I know I can take them. I guess that wouldn't be a problem and to be honest I am too upset and tired to go looking for shelter. I hear loud footsteps behind me, causing me to load my bow and swiftly turn around. Behind me is Mason with his hands up to surrender. Mason rubs the back of his neck as he speaks.

"Um. Ash. I was wondering if we could stick together." Mason suggests. I drop my bow to my side.

"But Mason. What if it comes down to the two of us?" I ask.

"Then we win. If we both have killed 5 people combined, that is." He proposes. I never even thought of that. Mason and I could win together. He is the only friend still in these Games, except for Angus but he decided to split up so I guess the closest friend I have is Mason. "What do you say?" He asks. I nod and we take off to the cave. There's four other tributes left in the arena so I guess the finale will be coming up really soon, but for now I think we should just rest. Once we get back to the cave it is slightly past noon. I decide to let my hair out of the braid that it has been in for 7 days. Once that is taken out I leave it cascading down my back and decide to braid it later. I cannot believe it has only been 7 days for these games. This is probably the shortest complete Games the Capitol will have. We drop our backpacks onto the cave floor and take a seat. We have some dried meat that we stole from the Career stock pile along with sips of water to let the meat actually go down my throat. Once we have eaten Mason and I just sit down in silence, despite the fact that we know that the Capitol audience would get bored. But there were three deaths today so that should fill them with enough bloodshed for now.

"I can't believe Keeth could do that to you." Mason says. I turn my head to look at his extremely sympathetic expression.

"Mason I really don't want to talk about him. It hurts every time I think of him. Maybe my parents are right. I trust people too easily. It is all my fault." I choke out, with tears threatening to flow out as my eyes well up. Even if I don't want to talk about him, I always end up doing so.

"Hey, come here." Mason tells me as he stands up and pulls me up too. Instantly, I walk into is open arms. His arms envelope me and pull me in tighter. I rest my chin on his shoulder and sob. The tears just flow out and I cannot control them any longer. Mason runs his finger through my hair as he says, "Ash. Don't blame yourself. It's not your fault alright? You trusting people is an admirable quality, so it isn't your fault that people take advantage of it. Understand?" He pushes me back a little to see my face. I nod. His words actually make me feel better, but it just isn't the same. It isn't the same feeling I get when I'm in Keeth's arms. I don't get that amount of warmth and security in Mason's arms. But Keeth left. He betrayed me and left me. "You're such a beautiful, smart and sweet girl I have ever met. Keeth's stupid to let you go." And I laugh at his comments.

"Thanks for lying. It's really making me feel better." I laugh.

"It is not a lie." Mason says as he places his hand on my cheek and slowly leans in. I close my eyes as his lips get closer to mine. I feel the heat from his breathing on my mouth. My heart races. This isn't right. I love Keeth and even though he doesn't love me, I cannot let myself betray him. His lips barely touch mine, before I turn my head down and then to my right. Mason takes a step back. I turn to look at him and our eyes meet. His eyes show that he is hurt. He is really upset by my actions.

"Mason. I am so sorry." I say as I take a step closer.

"No, Ash. I am sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I didn't think it through. I know I hurt you but…" I don't let him complete as I take him in my arms for a hug. He places his hands on

"You're my friend Mason. You will never hurt me. I know it." I reassure him. He lets go of me straight away and his bow and arrow. "Where you going?" I inquire.

"Hunting. We need something to eat for tomorrow." He tells me.

"I'll come with you." I suggest, picking up my bow too.

"No. You stay here. I won't go far, I promise." He says and I comply, although I do wonder why he didn't want me to come along. Protecting me? Maybe? Or running away? No. He left his backpack, so he wouldn't run away.

I take a seat on the cave floor once again and rummage through my backpack to check what I have. I empty my backpack and then repack it again. It is not that I need to but I just want to pass time. After I am done with that I am left with nothing to do. I manage to braid my hair again in the same way was Justice and Mum did, but just not as well as them.

Absentmindedly, I fidget with the charm bracelet Meadow gave me. I love how the purple, blue and turquoise meet and intertwine. Like friends coming together. The flower, dove, heart and Mockingjay charms represent important people in my life. The flower is my brother, bringing happiness to my face every time he smiles. The dove is Dad, the one who represents peace. Obviously the Mockingjay is Mum, being the symbol of the rebellion. And then there's the heart. Keeth? Nope. That place is empty. I guess not all the charms represent people in my life. I sigh and just play with the thread.

All of sudden there is a loud thud. Cautiously, I pick up my bow, load it with an arrow and walk towards the opening of the cave. I stand by the entrance of the cave waiting for the tribute to enter. Someone does crawl in. Someone with messy brown hair. Magnificent blue eyes, that look at me with relief and fear of the arrow. I take a step back to allow him to stand up but not dropping my bow.

"Ashlyn…" He says.

"Keeth? What are you doing here?" I ask.

"Ashlyn…" He says, taking a step closer.

"Don't come close to me." I warn.

"Okay." He says, putting his hand up to gesture surrender. "I understand that you don't trust me after what you heard, but I need to let you know about something else. Mason is not who you think he is. He wasn't part of our alliance. He was teamed up with the Careers."

"No. You're lying. You're a liar. I can never trust you." I say, not dropping my guard.

"I know you don't trust me. But you can check yourself. He should have a device called a walkie talkie. That's what he used to communicate with the Careers."

"Just go Keeth. I don't believe you. I don't think I can ever believe. Now go! Before I kill you." I warn.

"Kill me, Ash. I want to die in your hands." He says.

"I-I can't Keeth. You know I can't. Don't make this difficult. Just go!" I shout the last bit reluctantly he leaves. I rub my temple. I breathe frequently due to stress as my heart races. I spot Mason's backpack leaning on the cave wall. Slowly I approach the backpack. I bend down to unzip the bag, inwardly praying that Keeth was lying, because the thought of losing one more friend tears me apart.

I impatiently rummage through his bag, throwing things out of the bag. I have taken everything out and give a sigh of relief. Until, I see a bright flashing red light. I dig into the bag further until I feel something. I close my eyes as I take the item out of his backpack. Inwardly, I wish that even if it is the walkie talkie I don't know about it, and not have my heart broken again, because trust is the most important thing to me and something in this world I value the most. If someone breaks my trust, it hurts me a lot. I bring the item out of the bag and I gently open my eyes.

In my hand is a walkie talkie...

* * *

 **Review! Please!**

 **PS. Ashlyn is hurting right now. She loves Keeth and feels like she has no right to betray him like he did to her, but at the same time hates him for his betrayal. Just thought I need to clarify her weird behaviour...**

 **"For there to be betrayal, there would have to be trust first." ~ The Hunger Games**


	24. Revenge

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games**

 **A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers especially Libb23 because when I log on I see 23 more reviews and it just makes me feel better, especially since today is my birthday (3rd Nov). This is the best birthday gift ever. This chapter will reveal thing about Mason...so enjoy.**

* * *

 **Revenge**

In my hand is a walkie talkie…

My heart aches at the sight of the walkie talkie in my hands. So Keeth was correct. Mason did have the walkie talkie. He was a part of the Careers pack. He is a liar. I can't believe the fact that he was with the Careers just to kill us. Maybe he didn't even want to win with me. He was probably going to come back and kill me. The evidence in my hands doesn't allow me to come up with other theories that would convince my heart that my friend is true. For some reason my eyes are dry. By now I'd probably be weeping, but the Games have put me through too much sadness and loss for me to know what happiness and excitement is. I have cried too much in these Games and now I think that sadness is something my mind is accustomed to.

I pack Mason's bag again, leaving the walkie talkie with me and wait for him to arrive, because I need to know why he did it and more importantly what he did. I dread to think about what he did or what he caused. He may have gotten Durian killed. Or Mink. Or, I hate to even think about, killed them himself. I rub my temple to rid the headache caused by all the stress and over thinking about the whole situation. My heart races as I anticipate Mason's arrival. I pace around the cave and at times peek outside. The bright blue sky has turned into a darker shade and the false stars are glimmering in the sky.

I continue to pace, until I hear footsteps approaching. I pull out a knife from my sheath and take the walkie talkie in my other hand and hide it behind my back. I wait for the person to enter. I see brown hair crawl through the gap, holding three squirrels and a rabbit. When he stands up, his smile plastered on his face fades when he sees me holding a knife at him.

"Ash. It's just me. You can put your knife down." Mason says. "Look what I managed to get. They were just walking past. They probably didn't know what hit them." He says. I keep my guard. Mason is a traitor and if he can betray all of us and break our trust, then he can attack too. "Ash. I am not going to hurt you." He says, coming closer. I hold my knife out at him.

"Don't you dare…" I warn.

"What's wrong?" Mason questions. I bring the walkie talkie from behind my back.

"This is what's wrong. I found this in your backpack." I say.

"Listen Ash. I can explain."

"You hurt me Mason. You were a part of the Career Pack. You played with our trust. My trust and now it's broken."

"I agree. I did. But believe me I regret it. " Mason says.

"Why? Why did you do it? Why didn't you just kill me in my sleep? Or the rest of our alliance? Why play with our trust? Why wait for so long?" I ask, clearly hurt and frustrated.

"I wanted revenge." He says softly. Revenge? "Dad has suffered all his life because of your Mum. He has drowned himself in guilt of the death of your aunt, even though he had no knowledge or intention of doing so. You Mum constantly blamed him and it is a daily reminder when Dad calls your Mum and she doesn't talk. My Mum left us because of Katniss. Mum was unhappy with my Dad not talking much and constantly being upset and left. I have lived without my mother most of my life and I always felt it was because of your family. I wanted you to feel the same emotional pain that my Dad." I am taken aback. He has so much supressed inside of him. But that is no reason to betray us.

"What did you do? And only the truth." I ask.

"I wanted you to feel the same pain my dad felt. I knew I couldn't get to your Mum but by hurting you I know I would hurt Katniss. That's why I suggested the idea to the Careers and formed a plan to gain your alliance's trust. In the bloodbath I did find Mink and as soon as we got our weapons I killed her." He says, looking at the ground, shameful. What's the point of repenting it now? My blood boils. He killed Mink. "I know I shouldn't've but it was the plan. I got the walkie talkie from sponsor money, which was sent to every Career. I would know when to talk to them, when buns would come in the silver parachute. That's when I would wander off to talk to them and form a plan." I recall every time Mason went hunting after buns came. "I told the Careers where we were, which is how Salton, the District 4 male was able to kill Durian. I was blinded by the love of my dad. Images of my mum leaving kept appearing whenever I had a doubt about doing this. That is why I carried on. However, our biggest plan was to abduct Keeth. I had to convince you that Keeth loves you and that you trust him so that it would hurt more when you see him with the Careers."

"Whatever Keeth said about me. Was is part of your plan?" I ask.

"No. Our plan was to make you think that Keeth joined the pack." He informs and my heart sinks again. "But Ash. Believe me when I say that I stopped supporting them when you got attacked. When I saw you in that state I realised how much it hurt me to see the person that trusted me so much in pain. I realised that if the plan were to continue you would be hurt even more. Our talks about trust and love filled my mind. Things my dad taught me about being honest all came back to me and I realised that what I was doing was wrong. And I stopped. The only reason the Careers were able to get Keeth was because they knew we were in the cave. I have nothing to do with…"

"Just stop Mason! I can't take any more of your lies." I shout.

"That's not a lie Ash. Everything I told you right now is the truth."

"I can't believe you. In fact I don't think I can believe anyone. Two people I trust so much have betrayed me and you expect me to be able to trust you again. Impossible." I scoff. I pick up my backpack, take all of my weapons and decide to leave the cave and Mason. I am about to leave but Mason grabs hold of my arm and pulls him into him. He now has tears in his eyes and so do I. I don't dare look into his eyes. He puts one hand under my chin so our eyes meet. "I know you don't want to believe me. But I'm telling you the truth. Look, my eyes only show honesty and regret, not hatred."

"I don't believe these blue eyes, because it's just another pair that have broken my heart. I don't believe you. Or anything you say, Mason. Just let me go." I say, prying his hand off my arm and then crawling out.

"Ash, I'll prove to you that I have changed." He shouts but I carry on running. It's night now. I just keep running, not bothered whether I run into another tribute. After a while I feel my legs losing its senses due to fatigue and I need to stop. I realise I cannot see a lot in the dark, so I rummage through my bag and find my night vision glasses. When I put them on everything seems green but a lot clearer that I don't stumble into a tree. That would be embarrassing. I decide to move further away from the cave, even if it means moving away from the stream as well. I have two bottles filled anyway so I think I can manage. I am about to move when a canon stops me in my tracks. It was extremely loud and close to me. I look around frantically just in case a tribute was charging at me. Nope. I conclude that it wouldn't be safe to wander around in the dark any longer, hence I pick a tree nearby and climb it gracefully. I tie myself on a branch and tie my bag on the branch next to me.

I think back to the canon. 5 left now. It could be anyone left, because I am not sure who died. It could be Chase, who probably died of blood loss and I hope it is, not that I want him to die, but that he has to die so I could win. I don't want to sound selfish but it's true that we are in the Hunger Games. I hope it isn't Angus, because so far he is the only one in this arena who isn't out to get me or has broken my heart. Maybe I could win these games with someone. Maybe with Angus. I wish he didn't break of the alliance. Inwardly I wish that Keeth wasn't the one who died either despite all he said or done because he informed me about Mason and I would be grateful. But grateful is all. I try to convince my heart that that is the only soft spot I have for Keeth, since we are no longer friends. But my heart doesn't listen.

I hear the Panem anthem and I look up into the sky as they display the Panem seal. The first face is Amelia, glaring into space. Then it is Angus. No! His cheeky smile making me laugh inside but only bring tears on the out. The last one is Meadow. And that it when I place the three fingers of my left hand on my lips and then towards a nearby camera. These two. No three deserve respect, for what they have been through. I see their faces in the sky, the count of the death and I feel my soul shatter into pieces.

When I see their faces I realise one thing…I am all alone now.

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 **A/N Please review for me, as a birthday gift...pretty please**


	25. Last Three

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games, unfortunately.**

 **A/N: Thanks for all the reviews. Sorry for the previous chapter being so short. It's just I wanted to post a chapter on my birthday, but I promise that will not happen again. The Games are going to end soon so look out for that. Read. And Enjoy...**

* * *

 **Last three!**

I truly am alone. No people around me. No animals around me. No sounds of animals scurrying across the forest floor. No wind whirling around me. No sounds of anything filling the void. The emptiness of the night, increases my vulnerability and insecurity. I feel scared. That maybe I won't be able to see my family. That maybe I will die heartbroken.

I lean my head back to rest it on the tree trunk and look out as far as I can. I just want this to be over with. I didn't want to be here. I didn't ask for it. I didn't want to be here…to kill. All I wanted was to live a peaceful life with my family. I don't care whether we live in a hut or a mansion, I'd be happy, because of my family. They have been through too much to watch me in the same Games that ruined their lives. That was the cause of their wounds. That gave them everlasting pain. Pain that doesn't reduce over time. I want to go back to them. I just want to win and lead a normal life. But that can never happen. A Victor never has a normal life. My life will be full of pain, something that can never heal.

Even if I win and get through this torture, it will never end. I will have to mentor children my age or even younger. They could be my friends, like Jesse or Amethyst. Or it could be Rye. I wouldn't be able to live through the endless pain. Maybe death is my only way out. Maybe if I end my life it will end this torture. Maybe if Aquilo Snow got what he wanted, to kill me, he would leave my family alone. Leave my parents and Rye alone. Rye. I remember how he desperately wanted me to come home for him. I unclasp my knife from my sheath and brings it to my wrist. A single tear drops from my eyes. As I bring the knife in contact with my skin I remember the desperation in Rye's voice when he asked me to come home. I knew it wasn't likely, but I promised.

Promise.

I promised Rye that I would come home to him. I cannot break his promise by not trying. He would hate me forever even after I die. No, Rye. I will not break the promise I gave. I am not sure I will win, but I know that I will try to get back to you. I will do whatever it takes to ruffle your messy blond hair and see that mischievous smile of yours. I withdraw my knife from my wrist and draw it in my sheath again. I promise.

The thoughts of Rye put me into a nice sleep. Or as nice as sleeping on a tree would be. My eyes flutter open at the bright sun shining on my face. It should be late morning. I don't know how I managed to sleep like that. Maybe it was because of all the crying from yesterday that wore me out.

I untie my bag from the thin branch next to me and take out some meat that Mason obtained. If I weren't in the need of food I would've thrown it away, but unfortunately I am desperate. To keep alive. But not for me…for family, the people I can do anything for or go to any extent for.

Once I am done eating I untie myself from the branch and stuff it into my backpack. I take my bow in my hand and begin to climb down the tree. I decide that it is now time to walk to the Cornucopia. With only four other tributes left, the finale is here soon. I just know it, with all the tension in the air. I begin to walk in a medium pace; not too fast, not too slow. I am in no rush to get to the Cornucopia or kill.

I have been walking for about an hour now and it is noon, with the sun at the highest point in the sky, glaring at me, causing sweat to trickle down my forehead. I continuously wipe the sweat but my actions are futile. After a while I decide I should take a break and therefore I sit on the ground against a tree and take a couple of sips of water. Once I feel that my energy is regenerated, I pack my water away and stand up to begin my journey again. I am about to move along when I hear leaves rustle.

Frantically, I look around for the source of the noise until I spot the leaves of a bush moving around. Slowly, I make my way over to the bush, loading my bow at the same time. Now there's only a difference of a foot between me and the bush when it stops rustling. Attentive I take a couple of steps back but I am too late as a girl flies from behind the bush and pounces on me. She catches me off guard as she pushes me to the ground with her on top of me. Who could this be? There's only one other girl in the arena.

Paige.

I realise that my bow has long left my hand and is away from me – out of reach. She is glaring down at me and I don't avert my eyes either. I keep them fixed on her. If I do avert my eyes it will be a sign of weakness and I am not weak. I give her my most evil look to intimidate her. She has pinned me down and I try my best to come out of her clasp, but she is holding me down strong. She lets out a loud laugh and then looks down at me again. She her arm on my arms to prevent me from attacking her. Damn it. She pulls out a knife from her sheath and presents it in front of me. My knives. I completely forgot about them. But how do I get them out? I cannot move my arms. She begins to bring the knife down to my face.

"Ah. That pretty face of yours. Won't last for very long I'm afraid." She comments. I snarl at her. After a slow approach, the knife finally makes contact with my skin as she begins to drag it along my cheek. I wince the pain and clench my fists to try and control all emotions. I cannot show I am scared.

Then I realise something. She hasn't caught my legs yet. In one moment I bend my knee and kick her in the stomach. The first time she lets out a moan. The second time I kick her in the stomach she goes flying near to the bush she came from. Her head hits the ground with a great force. I stand up to make my final move. Her eyes are still open but they only show pain and defeat. She is breathing heavily and I even see blood trickle from the back of her head. That's when I see the rock behind her smothered with blood.

I take slow steps towards her, giving me enough time to convince myself that I need to kill her. I close my eyes for some time before releasing my knife. It lodges right at Paige's heart. Her hands are now still. The canon seconds after signifies her death. I bend down beside her and with my hand gently close her eyes. As I do so I whisper a soft sorry. I know she hated me but she didn't deserve this fate, which explains the apology.

I decide it is time to leave the area so the hovercraft can collect her body and I continue my journey towards the Cornucopia. I walk for another ten minutes when I hear the engine of the Cornucopia far away. I turn my head to watch a gigantic claw descending from the hovercraft. It disappears behind the trees and after a while I watch it reappear this time mercilessly holding Paige as her limbs dangle from the claw. At least treat her well now that she has left this world, I think to myself before sitting down under a tree.

I take out the medical supplies from my bag and use the cotton wool to clean my wound. There is a lot of blood flowing from what I can tell from the cotton wool. The worst part is trying to put a plaster on it because I am not exactly sure where the wound is. Once I manage to put the plaster on, I carry on walking.

From fifteen minutes to half an hour to another hour, I carry on walking with nothing but the mockingjays up in the tree keeping me company. The silence around me makes me feel quite scared. Like something is going to happen. Therefore I begin to sing the four-note tune Mum and Rue used in their Games. I whistle the tune and soon after the mockingjays begin to replay it like they are a recorder. As one mockingjay picks the tune up it passes it on and on until all the mockingjays around me begin to sing. They are so elegant. Their sound so soothing. I wish it never stops.

But it does…

Abruptly, the mockingjays stop singing. Something's wrong. Panicked I look around for any signs of danger. I hear a sound of rumbling slowly getting louder as I feel the ground shake slightly underneath me. The next thing happens extremely quickly. I hear a male voice shout and out from behind the tree jumps Chase who is shouting and running away from something. As he swiftly runs past me he shoves me onto the floor. I prop myself up onto my elbows and that's when I can see it. The ground is shrinking. The arena is getting smaller. The canyon is expanding swiftly as the hole expands towards me. I can see a pile of dirt lining at the edge of the expanding canyon as it approached. Immediately I jump up onto my feet and make a run for it to the Cornucopia. The Gamemakers are trying to bring the tributes closer. Only four of us left. This is the finale. This is where two of us die and other two survive. I run as fast as my legs can carry me. The noise begins to get louder. It is gaining on me.

After a lot of running and my legs starting to give up on me I finally make it to the clearing of the Cornucopia. I walk all the way to the mouth of the Cornucopia and I turn around to watch it stop expanding at the edge of the Cornucopia and grass. I wipe the beads of sweat from my forehead. I look up to the sky to see it darken into a deep and dark blue. The Gamemakers are increasing tension by making it dark. I am right next to the hole that formerly split the arena in half. I decide to walk away but as I do Chase jumps in front of me, out of nowhere. He holds his sword out of me ready to attack. Subtly, I try to unclasp my knife from my sheath.

"I wouldn't if I were you. You never know when this sword can move." He warns and I stop where I am.

How do I defeat him? This could possibly be the end for me. He starts to approach me with the sword all ready to stab me with it but I react quickly which catches him off guard. I jump and with my right leg kick his hand and he drops his sword to the ground. I kick him in the stomach and as he bends over to hold his stomach I use all my strength to try and push him down into the large canyon. I get him to the edge when he grabs onto my wrist and pulls himself back. He has me by the neck ready to push me down into my death when I see him collapse and fall into the canyon, bringing me with him. I feel my heart fly as I look into the darkness of nowhere.

This is goodbye everyone.

Suddenly I feel someone's hand on my wrist using all their weight to pull me back. When I look up I see Mason. His blue eyes show fear as he tries to pull me up. In one strong move he pulls me up completely and we both fall onto the ground. My head slams onto the ground but it doesn't hurt that much. I manage to get up and brush off all the dirt from my trousers. Mason gets up too and I just look at him impassively. What do I make out of this gesture? Of saving my life. Why go through all the trouble and planning of killing me when in the end he saved my life?

I leave Mason where he is and make my way to the mouth. Keeth jumps from inside and instantly I smile, but then I turn my expression to be impassive. Mason, Keeth and I stand in front of each other, not sure what to do. Suddenly we hear a voice boom.

"Attention tributes. Congratulations on making it to the final three. I am pleased to announce that all the combinations of Victors are valid and therefore any pair of tributes can win." Claudius says. So all our combinations have killed five people. Mason and I have killed five people. Keeth and I have killed five people. Mason and Keeth have killed five people. And that is the bare minimum. "Happy Hunger Games. And may the odds be ever in your favour." He concludes.

We all share glances. We all know what is going on in each others' minds.

There is only one question in our heads: Who dies...?

* * *

 **Finale next chapter. The Victor will be announced. I have an important question to ask: I am planning on writing a sequel but I am not sure whether to continue in the same story or write a separate one, so I'd like to know your opinion. PM or review your response.**

 **REVIEW!**

 **"When she sings, even the birds stop and listen." ~ Peeta**


	26. Victory

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own the Hunger Games**

 **A/N: Finally we are on 100 reviews. Thank you guys for all the support you have given to this story. Here is a special chapter for the victory. It is extra long just for you guys...enjoy!**

* * *

 **Victory**

There is only one question in our heads: Who dies…?

We stand in some sort of circle or triangle facing each other, observing each other's every move, any twitch of the body, or even a blink of an eye. We all feel vulnerable and frightened about who's going to strike first and who's going to be the victim. I know right this moment that I cannot kill Keeth. Whenever I try and convince myself that he hurt me all my heart says is that you love him no matter whether he loves you back. I cannot convince myself that Keeth is my enemy. Killing Mason is not an option either. He just saved my life or right now the Games would've been over and Mason and Keeth would've won. But he caught my hand before I fell into the canyon. This cannot possibly be how I can show my appreciation. But what if this is part of his revenge? To let me stand in front of two people who have hurt me immensely, look into both their blue eyes and wonder who to win with. That is perfect revenge. I don't know who to trust. I wouldn't have been in this mess if it weren't for my trait of trusting people too easily. Everyone's right. I am naïve. I am stupid. That's why I am so hurt right now.

As if right on cue both Keeth and Mason draw their weapons, Keeth his axe and Mason his sword. Immediately I draw my arrow into my bow and wait for them to make their first move. The Capitol audience must be on the edge of their seats at the moment. I analyse both of them carefully, wondering which of the two will attack and who they will attack.

"Just get this over with. I don't want to suffer." I moan. I cannot take the wait any longer. In response both Mason and Keeth drop their weapons right beside them on the ground. They don't want to attack, but for some reason I cannot take my guard down. I will not fire first but I need to protect myself in case Mason or Keeth pick up their weapon to attack me.

"We won't let you suffer either." Mason says.

"You're going to win Ashlyn. No matter what." Keeth says.

"That's not possible Keeth. Only two of us can come out alive." I say.

"And one of them is going to be you." Mason says.

"No. I can't do that. Because one of you will die. There's no possible way in deciding who doesn't make it out alive." I say.

"Ash. Kill me. Do me this favour? If I live I will be drowned in guilt of hurting you. And if I live I will be hurting you every day. I cannot possibly do that to you." Mason convinces.

"Mason. I-I won't…I can't-"I begin.

"No Ashlyn. Kill me. I know that you despise me and I don't want to make your life difficult. Plus I have no one waiting for me at home. No one to cry over my death." Keeth says.

"Keeth. Please don't say that. You know I can't. I just won't be able to and you know it." I say.

"And you won't need to because I will die. You and Keeth can be happy together. Please Ash. Just end it quickly…" He pleads. I have had enough of this. I drop my bow and arrow and cross my arms over my chest.

"I can't kill any of you and both of you know it!" I shout. "Don't hurt me anymore." I plead.

"Ash, if you don't end my life…then…" He begins as he picks up his sword. I run up to him and grab his arm with the sword in it. I shake my head, pleading him to not do it. "Please let me do this Ash. I won't be able to live with the guilt of hurting you." He says.

"I can't let you do this Mason." I say as I take his hand forcefully but in return he just shoves me to the ground.

"Ashlyn!" Keeth exclaims as he runs up to me.

"I'm sorry Ash." Mason says. "I need to do this." He says as he takes the sword in his hand and stabs his heart brutally.

"Mason." I yell as I push Keeth and run up to him. Mason has fallen to the ground. I wince as I pull the sword out of his body. He is breathing very slowly but his eyes are still open and are looking at me. "Why? Why did you do this?"

"I told you I changed Ash. I told you I will prove it and that's what I did. I didn't want to hurt you anymore or see you in pain. I have to go out of your life if it means your happiness." Mason says with a few pauses here and there due to blood loss.

"Why do you care so much about me?" I ask.

"Because…I-I love you," Are his last words when he takes a last gasp and his heart stops. He was right. Everything he said about him regretting hurting me was true. And I didn't believe him. I know he hurt me. He took revenge against me, but I can't help feel guilty that he died trying to prove to me that he has change and to make me happy.

I notice tears pouring out of my eyes. I place my head on his chest and cry. I keep murmuring apologies even though I know that he won't hear any of them. His canon soon sounds, which makes me cry even more. I hear footsteps approach me and I know its Keeth. He crouches down next to me and brings my head up and places it onto his chest. I don't fight him. I have lost all my strength, all my tears and all my friends in these games.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. I present to you the Victors of the 77th Hunger Games. Ashlyn Mellark and Keeth Ambertson, District 12." Claudius Templesmith announces. I take my head away from Keeth's chest. We won. We did it. That's what we wanted in the first place. But that was before the Games. Now I am not sure if I want to win or be with Keeth. I just cannot forget what I saw or what I heard. And whenever I look into those blue eyes, all I can see are the cold emotionless ones he had when he confessed that he was using me. I cannot forget.

Suddenly there's a huge breeze and as soon as we hear motors we know that this is our way out of the arena and into a solemn victory. Keeth and I both stand up and approach the hovercraft that has no let down a ladder for both of us to climb onto. Keeth tells me to get on first. As I place one foot on the ladder I turn once again to look at Mason, give him the district salute and then climb up. As soon as I feel Keeth on the ladder we are frozen and are soon transported into the hovercraft. When we are up there we are greeted by Capitol people dressed in some white coats. The hovercraft gives me a shiver. The hovercrafts weren't like this when we came into the arena. No. We didn't win. They are going to kill me and Keeth. This is Aquilo's revenge. He's going to kill me, just like every other tribute in the Game. The lady asks me to come with her into a room but I shake my head.

"You're going to hurt me." I shout. "I know you are. Just like everyone else. Everyone hurt me." I cry. "I'm not going anywhere." The lady pulls something from behind her back. It is long and sharp. A needle. She walks towards me but I just walk back until I reach the wall. I shake my head constantly but she stabs the syringe on my arm. Or I think it is my arm. Or was it…where am I? The room is spinning. Everything is black. Then white. Then black. Then…

* * *

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. This noise pierces my ears.

* * *

"Will she be alright?" A voice says. I want to reach out to him. But I can't open my eyes.

* * *

Beep. Beep. Beep. I feel my eyes flutter open as the bright light invades my eyes. I squint and blink a couple of times to adjust to the white light. Slowly, I move my head around. Is this heaven? A white room, looks sterile. There's a machine next to me. Wires are connected to me. This isn't heaven. This is the opposite of heaven. The Capitol. It wasn't a nightmare. I did win the Games. I use my arms to prop myself into a sitting position. I look down at the wires on my arms again. I don't want to be treated. It won't heal the wounds on my heart. I reach up on my right side to try and switch of the machines. As I lean over to press the button, I end up pushing the machine onto the floor. Bang. At least it stopped working. I pull the wires from my arms and as I do so I hear a creek. I look ahead to see the door opening. Who could that be? From behind the door appears my uncle. Uncle Haymitch. At the sight of me he smiles widely and I try too, but I just can't. He runs up to me.

"Ashlyn…" He begins.

"I know. You're going to say that I am so glad you're awake and so on…" I interrupt.

"No. I was going to say that you're really clumsy." He laughs. I roll my eyes.

"I'm so glad to see you too." I say.

"But I truly am glad to see you awake, because I have something important to tell you." Haymitch tells me.

"Are Mum and Dad and Rye okay?" I inquire.

"Yeah they're fine. Really happy that you're alive." He says. "I wanted to tell you about Aquilo. I know I shouldn't be telling you this now but you need to know before your interview today."

"Interview today?" I ask.

"Yeah, they were waiting for you to become conscious. You've been out for four days. Probably due to the mutation bites. Keeth became conscious two days ago but is still under observation. The doctors said that you've been under a lot of mental distress which is why you weren't able to bring yourself to be conscious." Haymitch informs.

"Oh," is all I can say.

"I need to warn you Ash. Aquilo is angry. Extremely angry." I stop him straight away and signal to the walls, telling him that the room could be bugged. Haymitch simply shakes his head and continues.

"Everything you have done in those Games. Every action. Every word was an act against the Capitol and against the Games. Your District salutes. You outwitting the Gamemakers' challenge, the canyon. You found a way to overcome it, something that Aquilo didn't want, which is why mutts were sent after you. Your speech about unity when mutts were sent after you again. You sparing Keeth's life twice, once at the Cornucopia and once at the cave. You sparing Angus' life when he broke off the alliance. You sparing Mason's life when you found out his truth. Even Mason committing suicide was for you, Ash. Aquilo is angry about everything." He says.

"But. I didn't want to do that. I just did it. I didn't even want to win." I say.

"But you did do it, Ash. And on top of that the Capitol people love you. They love the drama that unfolded between you and Keeth and you and Mason."

"And the Districts?" I ask.

"You're a sign."

"A sign for what?" I ask.

"Unity. A symbol to bring everyone in this nation together. For the better. They see you as the Girl who Rose from the Ashes, of the rebellion." I bury my face in my hands.

"No, no, no, no, no, no. I didn't want this to happen, Uncle Haymitch."

"It's okay sweetheart."

"It's not okay. I cannot face all this death anymore." I say.

"No one does."

"What about Keeth? Is Aquilo angry at him?" I inquire.

"Well, Keeth saved your life in the Games, which is pretty much against everything the Games mean. The Capitol audience is quite upset with him for supposedly saying those things about you, but they did love the drama. They aren't angry at you as they felt it was justified that you kissed Mas…"

"I didn't kiss him." I interrupt.

"But the way it was shown it definitely looked like it." Haymitch says. "Anyway, Aquilo wants all the focus on the two of you. So that the Capitol can cover up what's going on in the Districts."

"What's happening there?"

"There's unsettlements going on there. They have been chanting your name in all Districts. And Aquilo wants to change the main topic of the Games in the Districts. Change the fact that these Games fully defied him."

"What do we need to do? Pretend we still love each other, like Mum and Dad did?."

"That's impossible. The Capitol residents are no longer fools. They won't believe that after whatever happened. You need to make sure you put Keeth in the best light possible. Justify his actions. Make them feel that whatever happened, happened due to pressure of the Games. Make them feel that everything is the same as it was before the Game. We are changing the topic of the Games from rebellious to best friends forever." I roll my eyes at that comment. It isn't forever, now is it?

"But show them you're still affected about whatever happened. Make it seem real but dramatic. Don't make them think that you two are still in love because they would think you are copying your parents."

"The last bit won't be hard." I comment.

"Ashlyn, do you seriously think that Keeth meant those things?" Haymitch asks.

"I heard it with my own ears, Uncle Haymitch. I saw the coldness in his eyes when he said those things. Those cold, blue eyes are not leaving my mind. Unless I don't see it myself at the recaps, I will only believe what I heard in the Games. Maybe I will find out about it today." Haymitch stands up and walks towards the door. He stops and turns around.

"Maybe you won't." He says and then walks out of the door leaving me alone with his lingering words.

* * *

After a couple of hours of examination by the Capitol doctors, I am sent to the Training Centre, to the prep room I was in during the interviews. I am asked to sit and wait for my prep team. I can't believe I am going to say this but I am actually glad I will see them.

Soon, the three burst into the room with a loud and wild chatter. At the sight of me, they run and take me into a tight and breathe restricting embrace. They all congratulate me on my victory and begin to get to work. They wash my down to get rid of all the dirt and grime all over me after the Games. Once they are done with that, they lather my hair with scented lotions and then dry my hair. They then sit me down and continue their work. Veridie works on painting my nails and shimmering silver. Aetius does my make-up using a lot of blue. It is a light blue. Like the sea. Aqua blue. Fabius works on my hair. He curls the bottoms parts of my hair and pins up some stands of hair from the front around to the back, leaving a fringe that is tucked behind my ear.

Once they are satisfied with my look, they leave and soon Justice walks in. As soon as I see him and run up to hug him. I am so happy to see his warm smile, especially now since I know how close he is to our family. Tears threaten to trickle.

"Don't go crying now. You don't want to ruin your make-up." He says and we both laugh. "I knew I'd see you again."

"You had full faith in me didn't you?"

"Since day one." He says and I smile. He brings out a dress bag and asks me to close my eyes. He puts me into the dress and I can feel that it just about knee-length and uses quite soft materials.

"I hope it's not fire." I say, my eyes still closed.

"Nope." He says. Relief and disappointment goes through me. "You can open your eyes now."

I stand in front of the mirror. I am in an aqua blue dress, finishing just above my knees. It is ruffled at the top and near the hem of the dress with a silver lining on each of the ruffles. There is a silver belt under my chest. I look so innocent. But blue? Why?

"Justice. Blue?" I ask.

"Water." I know what he means. Water to put out the fire I created. Justice helps me into some heels and then leads me underneath the stage, where I will stand on a plate to be risen onto stage. That is after my mentors, prep team and Justice goes on stage. I really miss Mum and Dad and I really want to see them. Hug them. Just talk to them.

I take a deep breath when I hear our names being announced. I feel the plate below me begin to rise. The Games. The tube. The arena. Everything just takes over me. I close my eyes and take long and deep breaths as the plate rises. When I open my eyes I see myself rising onto the stage. I squint at the sight of all the spotlights but then I soon get accustomed to it.

I turn to my right to see Keeth next to me. He is dressed in a navy blue suit and a baby blue shirt underneath. He is pulling off the casual-smart look really well. Keeth gets off his plate and offers his hand to help me off mine. Reluctant at first, I take his offer as he guides me to our seats. I guess friends wouldn't mind holding hands for some time. There is a plush white sofa, fit for two. As we sit I let go of Keeth's hand and put it on my lap.

"Wow. Ashlyn Mellark and Keeth Ambertson. Victors. Isn't that quite amazing?" Caesar starts.

"Indeed, it is." Keeth responds.

"And Ashlyn Mellark. Third Victor in your family."

"Yes. My parents must be really proud of me." I bite my tongue as I say that. Proud? No. Terrified? Yes. Worried? Yes. Angry? Yes. But proud? No.

"I can imagine," Caesar chuckles. "These Games have been quite memorable. It was not only a physical challenge but an emotional one too. Let's see how the two of you tackled this."

The recaps begin. It starts from the reaping. It goes through all the reaping are shown quite quickly but then shows District 12's reaping in detail. Again, I feel like crying when I hear Rye's name called out and instinctively I grab onto Keeth's hand. He squeezes my hand in reassurance. I pull my hand away straight away. Next they show the tribute parade, which is nothing new to me. They display all the tribute's training scores and show snips of our allies' interviews along with Chase and Paige. They show our full interviews, along with my grin when Keeth says that he is sorry for the way he acted. If he were to do this now, I'd probably slap him. Of course in front of the audience I keep a calm demeanour and smile at his apology. Now. Here is where the Games begin.

They first show Durian and Meadow run for the weapons in front of them, as they pick them up, along with some backpacks and head over to the edge of the Cornucopia. They then show me, frozen on my plate until Keeth shakes me out of my thoughts and we run. Angus runs towards the mouth, until Chase jumps out in front of him and slices Angus' leg, brutally. Angus falls to the ground, with Chase towering over him. That is when Keeth throws his axe at Chase's leg, causing him to fall to the ground and then drags Angus towards the field.

Then they show Mink and Mason. I watch Mason pick up a sword from the ground and slice Mink's neck. How could he be so brutal? They then show us throwing the weapons in the lake and then the canyon being formed. The death of one tribute is shown that happened in the middle of the night.

I try my best to control my emotions when I watch myself kill the District 4 boy and then put Durian out of his misery. The conversation between Mason and I is highlighted too. I then see Mason talking through his walkie-talkie, telling them what we are planning on doing. I am shocked to see Keeth throw an axe at a girl who was spying on them. Everything else they show is of the conversation and the kiss between Keeth and I and then the mutts.

Whilst I am unconscious I see Keeth and Meadow constantly sit next to me and change my bandages. The capturing was the worst. Meadow is threatened mercilessly and Keeth shouts at Chase. I watch our group walk up to the Cornucopia. This is it. This is where I will find out whether Keeth meant those words.

Keeth is standing straight and tall when Chase asks Keeth to tell him my whereabouts. Keeth responds in saying he doesn't love me or care about me. Nothing to show he was protecting me or he was lying. He truly meant every single word. I zone out for the rest of the recaps, constantly thinking about Keeth's words. About how I blindly trusted him? Blindly loved him. I was so wrong. I am soon pulled out of my thoughts when I hear the Panem anthem.

"Ashlyn? What was going on in your head when you heard what Keeth said about you?" Caesar asks me.

"I was devastated. At that moment everything seemed blurred. My heart was crushed. But right now. I feel that Keeth wasn't wrong. When you're in those Games you have this pressure on you to come out alive for your family and I guess Keeth was just reacting due to pressure. I think he felt like he needed to come out alive, which is why he tried to go away from everyone. That is something which I did later on. Keeth and I. We are still close friends and that hasn't changed. Because we understand what happened and know that no one can held against what happens in there. However, I do admit that it will take some time to gain trust but that will happen eventually." I bite my lip at this lie. This is all a lie. Every word I am saying is fake.

"I see. So, you believe that what Keeth did was justified?" I nod in response. "Well, I guess our time is up for today." Caesar informs and both of us stand up. "Let's have a round of applause for Keeth Ambertson and Ashlyn Mellark. Winners of the 77th Hunger Games!" Caesar shouts and in response we hear chants of Keeth and my name. I did it. My mission is accomplished. The Capitol love Keeth.

Keeth and I walk off stage side by side and get into the elevator. There is an extremely awkward silence between us, as no one dares to speak. As we pass the 9th floor, Keeth speaks.

"Ashlyn…" He says but I don't respond. 10th floor. "Ashlyn please talk to me." 11th floor.

"I have nothing to say to you, Keeth." I say. 12th floor. The doors open to a smiling Effie, Mum, Dad and Haymitch. Mum has tears in her eyes but a smile on her face. I wanted to see her smile for so long. I begin to walk out of the elevator but I feel Keeth pull on my arm.

"Ashlyn. Please just hear me out." Keeth pleads. I force his hand of my arm.

"I said I don't want to talk to you!" I shout.

"Well, you'll need to at some point. You need to know what happened!" Keeth shouts in response.

"I already know what happened!" I shout, walking out of the elevator. "I was right there." I say, softer. I hear footsteps behind me and I turn around. "Now stay away from me." I tell Keeth who is standing in front of me.

"I thought you forgave me. That's what you said at the interviews." Keeth said.

"I was just helping you. I was just justifying you actions. Nothing more. And I don't want to talk to you about it anymore."

"I need to tell you the truth!" He exclaims.

"I already know the truth! You said that you don't love me in front of the whole country. Is there anything else?"

"Yes there is. You need to trust me…" He begins, taking my hands in his, but I interrupt.

"Trust?" I scoff. "Trust you. I won't make that mistake again. The last time I did that, it left me heartbroken. I don't want that to happen again. I can never trust a person who doesn't love me."

"Love. And you think you love me?" He asks.

"I love you more than my life, Keeth. Even after what I heard, I couldn't convince myself to stop. " I say, wiping the tears in my eyes.

"Then why were you kissing Mason?" He yells.

"I didn't kiss him!" I shout back.

"Really?" He scoffs. "Then what do you call the little display that happened in the cave?"

"How dare you Keeth?" I say. "You seriously think I would so something like that."

"Do you seriously think that I would mean those things about you?" He asks.

"I saw it with my own eyes. In the Games and at the recaps."

"I saw it with my own eyes too, Ashlyn. I want answer too."

"You don't deserve an answer from me." I say, storming off into my room. I throw off my heels and run into bed and sob. I thought the pain would stop. I thought the pain would leave me alone. But no. It hasn't left me. The pain hasn't stayed in the Games. I will experience this every day. The Games haven't stopped. The emotional Games haven't stopped.

The Games have just begun.

 **A/N: Thank you to all my viewers. I still need a question answered. Do you want the sequel of this story in this same story or a separate one and I need this info ASAP because in a few chapters the sequel begins. Thanks again.**

 **Review!**


	27. Nightmares

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned the Hunger Games, but I am not a genius.**

 **A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers. I am happy and sad at the same time. Happy because I watched Mockingjay Part 2. But the sad bit is that the Hunger Games series is over. I literally cried when I got home and realised this. To the people who haven't seen the movie - you should go. There are many tear-jerkers too, I cried several times - not trying to give away any spoilers. So go out and enjoy the movie: but first here is chapter 27. Read and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Nightmares**

Once I have stripped off of my blue interview dress and take a long shower, attempting to remove every bit of dirt and blood, I imagine is stained on me, I change into a yellow shirt and black silky shorts. I just can't wait to go home, and get away from all these fancy clothes. I want my own clothes back. My hunting jacket and shoes too.

When I shower, I realise that all the mutation scratch and bite marks and magically disappear. Well, Capitol treatment and medicine is practically magic anyways. My eyes feel extremely droopy, especially due to all the tears that have poured out of my eyes. I tie my hair up in a high ponytail and secure it with a rubber band. I lie down on my bed and just hold my Mockingjay pin. Right now, this pin is my only source of strength and comfort. I feel as though I have an enemy everywhere. Aquilo. The Gamemakers. Every Capitol person who are with Aquilo.

Keeth. I feel like every time I see him I need to either breakdown or yell at his face. Nothing in between. Especially since he hinted at me cheating on him, I despise him. I mean, how dare he say that about me? He thinks I don't love him, when in actual fact he confessed in front of every person of this nation that he was just using my love as an advantage for him during the Games. After hearing all of that how does he expect me to forgive and forget?

I put my Mockingjay pin down when I hear a knock on my door. I sit up straight, all ready to slap Keeth, who I am pretty sure is knocking on my door right now.

"Keeth. Please go away." I plead.

"Ash. It's not Keeth." I hear my dad's soothing voice say.

"Sorry Dad. Come in." I say, and immediately Mum and Dad walk through my door. At the sight of them I run up to them and take them into a tight embrace. I missed them so much. I thought about them every second in those Games.

"I missed you." I cry, still holding onto them. Mum and Dad pull me back.

"We missed you too sweetie." Mum says. Mum and Dad guide me to my bed, where I and Mum take a seat and Dad drags a chair from the dressing table.

"How is Rye doing? Is he holding up?" I inquire. I can imagine Rye pacing around the room everytime the games were on.

"He's really happy that you're coming home. He misses you a lot, Ashlyn. But when you were unconscious he got really scared, but nothing to worry about." Mum tells me.

"That's my brave brother." I say.

"Yeah. He's just like you." Dad says.

"I'm not brave Dad. Nowhere near brave. Killing people is not brave. It is ruthless, Dad." I say, thinking about all the lives I have drained out. All the people who lost family members.

"I understand how you feel. We've been through the same things. I know it's hard, but we will get through this. As a family." Mum says.

"I feel like I have been changed. Like a part of myself has been snatched from me." I say. Mum rubs my back gently, to console my.

"You've been through a lot Ash. But you're still the same person we have known." Dad says.

"I am not the same person. I have lost my ability to trust." I say, thinking about being betrayed. About Keeth? About my love for him being used against me. "Mum?" I ask.

"Hmm.."

"Why did I fall in love, when I barely knew him?" I ask but Mum hesitates at my question.

"Because your heart told you otherwise." Dad replies.

"Then my heart is wrong." I comment.

"Ash, he didn't mean anything…" Dad begins.

"Dad, are you going to defend him too? Even after all he said to me, despite me trying to get all the Capitol people to like him at the interviews."

"What are you talking about Ash? The Capitol people were already in love with the two of you." Then it hits me. Now everything makes sense to me. The reasons Haymitch gave to me didn't add up. How would the Capitol liking Keeth reduce the talks of the rebellion?

"Thank you, Dad." I say before running out of the room. Where would Haymitch be? I run up to his room and storm right in to see it empty. Where could he go? Where? Where? Roof. I speed through the living room run through the doors and sprint up the stairs. He must be there. The cold air hits me like a ton of bricks. My arms and legs begin to shiver. How could I forget to bring a jacket again? I tremble as I walk up to the edge next to Haymitch how has got a bottle of alcohol in his right hand.

"Thought you'd be here by now." Haymitch says.

"Why did you lie?" I ask.

"Knew Peeta would end up telling you." He says.

"Uncle, answer my question. Why did you lie?" I ask.

"I should've let him in on what I know." Haymitch says, ignoring my question again.

"Uncle Haymitch! Put the drink down!" I say.

"No." Haymitch says, straight out.

"I want to talk to you, not a drunk." I comment.

"After a whole two weeks of sobriety, I am not letting this bottle out of my sight." He says. He was sober, during my Games. Just for me.

"You did this for me?" I ask.

"Well, I couldn't leave your life in the hands of a drunk." He says. "Okay, now tell me."

"Why did you lie to me? The Capitol already loved Keeth."

"Because I needed the two of you to seem united, to deliver the message to the Districts. That's what they see you as. A sign for unity. I was just enhancing that."

"Why did you just tell me straight away?" I ask.

"Well. With that massive ego of yours, I didn't think that you would be willing to show any sort of friendliness or association with Keeth." He says. I know he's true.

"I do not have a massive ego." I say.

"Say whatever you want."

"So, Aquilo was just an excuse?" I confirm. Haymitch shakes his head.

"No. That part is real. He is very angry. And he also wants you and Keeth to seem as friends and nothing more."

"Why is that?" I say as I furrow my brow. That doesn't make sense.

"He wants to break you. He knows you hate Keeth and presenting you two as friends would mean you have to be quite close a lot of the times. That will eventually break you."

"Then why not make it seem like we're in love?" I ask.

"You won't understand it now, Ash." Haymitch says.

"Why? Why won't I understand?" I ask.

"Because you don't know the truth. But when you do, you'll understand why." Haymitch says.

"I know the truth."

"You can lie to me Ash, but you can't lie to yourself." He says as he walks away. I look out onto the city, with Haymitch's lingering words looming in my mind. I have lost my ability to trust. I cannot trust Keeth's words when he says that he didn't mean those words. I don't want to take a risk, because if later on I find out that it was the truth my heart will break again, into pieces that will probably never be fixed.

My eyes focus on all the lights of cars buildings. They look like fireflies. Something we would find in the meadow. I miss home so much. But I will be home soon. My home. Maybe that will give me a sense of peace.

* * *

I wake up drenched in sweat from the nightmare I had the next morning. I watched Meadow and Mink die over and over again, more brutally every time and I wanted to wake up to let the nightmare disappear, but I couldn't. It will never leave me, like it never has with Mum and Dad. I just wish all this was over.

Once I have showered and changed into a striped top and jeans, I go to the dining room to eat breakfast. When I get there, I find everyone, including the stylists, eating breakfast, except of Keeth. I take a seat next to Justice and serve myself some food. Keeth comes in slightly later and serves himself too. One by one everyone begins to finish their meal and excuses themselves, leaving just Tatiana, Justice, Keeth and I. I am still halfway through my meal, so I really hope that Justice doesn't leave so I wouldn't have to be alone with Keeth.

"Ashlyn. Keeth. We'll be going down to prepare for your crowning clothes. Meet us there when you've finished eating, to get you ready for the crowning." Justice says, as him and Tatiana walk into the elevator. Guess I'm stuck with Keeth. I focus my thoughts on my food, but Keeth's presence keeps distracting me.

"Ashlyn?" I hear Keeth call, but I keep my eyes on my food. "I wanted to know if you're okay." Don't look up Ash. And I don't. I don't respond as though there were no one talking to me in the first place. "Are you okay?" He asks again. No response from me. "Look. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

"I can't forgive you. Especially after all you said about me."

"Ash, I was just upset and I said those-" He begins as he walks up to me, but I interrupt.

"You said I cheated on you. Or that's what you implied. And worst of all you said I don't love you." I say, standing up, right in front of him.

"Do you love me?" He asks, leaving me confused in what to say.

"Not anymore." I say dropping my gaze.

"You're lying." He says. After a long pause, "I can see it in your eyes."

"I can't love you." I say, trying my hardest to defend myself.

"Why not? Why can't you love me, when I love you?" He asks.

"Because I'm scared."

"Scared of what?"

"Scared that you'll hurt me. Again." I say as I walk towards the elevator and enter it, trying my best to hide my tears.

* * *

Justice and the prep team spend time painting my nails, applying my makeup and doing my hair but then are eventually done. Justice makes me put on a calm and subtle yellow dress with the hem of it just touching the floor. It is a sleeveless dress that is tight on the body until my waist. There is a slit by my left leg. To finish of the look there is a red ribbon tied slightly above my waist. It isn't like other dresses that Justice has created, but anything to please the President. Justice pins the Mockingjay pin to my dress to finish off the look.

Justice leads me to the side of the stage so that I can walk on when my name is called up. I can see Keeth on the other side of the stage too. Today is the crowning, where the President will place crowns on our heads to declare us victors. Before the crowning used to take place first but the President couldn't make it yesterday so it was delayed.

"Give a round of applause for the Victors from District 12. Ashlyn Mellark and Keeth Ambertson." Caesar announces. Justice pats my back and I elegantly walk onto the stage, with Keeth walking from the opposite direction. I greet Caesar by hugging him and Keeth does the same. Caesar leads us to the two thrones positioned on the stage and lets us sit down. He begins asking us questions about how we felt during the Games and at different deaths and my response is fairly similar, saying that I was really sad and upset and felt like I lost someone close.

"What was going through your mind when you found the walkie talkie in Mason's backpack?"

"I couldn't believe what I saw. I felt like it was a lie. But at the same time I felt betrayed almost." I say. Caesar takes my hand.

"I understand." Caesar says. No he doesn't understand. No one understands what I have been through in these Games. No even what my parents have been through in their Games and the war. The war has torn families apart. The losses my parents have faced is something that Caesar cannot understand. The interviews finish after several more questions and then Caesar walks off stage. Keeth and I stand.

While the anthem of Panem is playing, Aquilo walks onto the stage, followed by two young girls with plush red cushions in their hands. On the cushions are crowns. Half-crowns. The ones my parents won. My breathing becomes heavy at the sight of the half-crowns. This represents the rebellion my parents began. They changed their Game. I don't want this. I don't want anything to do with a spark. A sign. Or a rebellion. I don't want to witness death or take it myself. All it will bring is loneliness and pain. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Aquilo stops walking and stand in front of me. The smell of roses enter my nostrils and my eyes catch the white rose on his lapel. My eyes move from the rose to his eyes that are glaring into mine. I don't smile, but I don't scowl either. He turns to take hold of the crown but never takes his eyes away from mine once. Neither do I. Gently he places the crown on my head. Something that feels too heavy for me. Like a burden.

"Seems you are very popular. Miss Mellark." Aquilo hisses.

"I am just like my mother. Sir." I say, glaring back at him, until he is forced to avert his eyes and move onto Keeth. I turn to look at Keeth is looking at me with worry in his eyes. I turn and look straight ahead, not bothered about what is going on around me. I stare into space until Aquilo speaks.

"I hereby declare the Victors of the 77th Hunger Games. Keeth Ambertson and Ashlyn Mellark." He says as he shakes our hands and are congratulated with a loud cheer and applause from the audience.

Soon we are escorted to the train. This was our last day in the Capitol. I will be home in a day. I will see Rye, Jesse and Amethyst. I can go home. To my home. When I get to my compartment, I change my yellow dress into a comfortable baggy trouser and a pink shirt. I tie my hair carelessly and walk out to the dining compartment to eat something. When I get there I can only see Keeth. I put my head down and turn to walk out but Keeth's voice stops me.

"Ashlyn. Please. Please talk to me." Keeth pleads.

"I have nothing to say to you."

"If you love me, then you will hear me out. Just once." Keeth says. I cannot take it anymore. Why do I always have to prove I love him? I told him to just leave me alone, but he doesn't do that.

"I don't love you, okay! Isn't that what you wanted to hear." I shout, leaving him heartbroken. I know he doesn't love me, then why seem so affected. And convincing myself I do not love him will help ease the pain in my heart. I run to my room and just sit on my bed. Whenever I close my eyes images of Mink and Meadow appear. Images of Durian, Angus, Amelia, Chase falling, the District 4 boy I killed and the mutts. But worst of all I get images of Mason, lying still and cold. When I open my eyes I imagine them here. In the same room as me. They would be pointing at me accusingly, blaming me for their death. I draw my knees to my chest and rock myself forward and back, trying to get rid of all the accusing words thrown at me.

"Go away." I scream. "Get away from me." I say loudly. "It wasn't my fault." I mutter to myself constantly. I hear the door open and close and footsteps. No. They are here to blame me too. But I didn't do anything. I didn't want to do anything. I was forced to. But they don't understand. "It wasn't my fault. Please let me go. I didn't want to kill you. It wasn't my fault." I feel a hand stroke my head and run their fingers through my hair. "Please. Please don't accuse me." I beg.

"Shhh." A male voice says. "It's not your fault. Okay?" Keeth says, bringing my knees away from chest to stretch out. He lowers my head onto the pillow and consolingly strokes my head. "It will be fine. It will all be fine." He repeats. When I finally calm down Keeth gets up and begins to walk towards the door.

"Keeth?" I call out. He stops and turns around. "Will we ever be fine?" I ask, wanting to hear some reassurance.

"I don't know, Ashlyn. I really don't know." He says and walks out of the door. I close my eyes and begin to fall off to sleep.

* * *

My sleep is invaded with nightmares that I somehow fight with it to get some rest. I wake up with a loud knock on my door and an announcement that we will reach District 12 in an hour. I get out of bed and shower. When I am out I find a navy blue dress with a white belt on my bed, along with white flats. I put those on and let my hair out and go to the dining room.

I begin to eat breakfast until I see the luscious green leaves and tree barks of the woods. Instincts take over me as I slowly approach the window and stare out into the woods. Home. This is home. My home. Keeth comes and stands by me as we pull up into a crowded train station. People cheering and waving at the sight of us. People are happy. But something is different. There is a dullness in the air. Something that is foreign to us. I see ragged clothes. Thinner people. Exhausted people.

I wave back enthusiastically to show the District how I feel for them and Keeth does the same. Haymitch ushers us to the doors of the train when the train halts. I stand straight, with Keeth by my side doing the same. There is a fair distance between us. Something that shouldn't be there but I don't want to challenge it either.

"We are meant to be united." Keeth says. He knows. He knows about the sign. Haymitch told him. That means we are in this together.

"One last time. For the Districts." I say, my voice seeming cold and emotionless holding out my hand for Keeth. He takes it just when the train doors open and the cheering District brings a smile to my emotionless face. I take my free hand and use it to wave and blow kisses as we get off the train. As I do so I scan the crowd for Rye, until I see him standing on a podium. I watch him run down towards me, the crowd moving away to let him run. When he gets close he jumps and hugs me. I pull him into me tightly, my hand going through his fine blond hair. My eyes well up at the sight of his smile and his eyes that now flicker happiness at my arrival. I never want to leave Rye. Never.

Rye takes a step back and I take Keeth's hand again. As the District watch us, Keeth raises our hands in the air, causing an uproar of applauses. In the corner of my eyes I can see two people, whose faces I could never ever forget. Jesse and Amethyst. Both are standing side by side, looking directly at me. Amethyst is grinning from ear to ear at the sight of me, but Jesse's smile is barely detectable. That's typical Jesse. Behind them is Sae. This is home. I cannot wait any longer as I walk towards them.

I turn to see my hands slipping away from Keeth's our fingers just grazing against each other before they are no longer touching, something I never wanted to do before. I feel my heart shatter as I walk away from him but I soon convince myself that he is a betrayer. When I turn again he seems to be smiling into the public. He has no one waiting for him. He is all alone. I promised that when we won the Games, Keeth wouldn't be alone anymore, and I am not the kind that will break someone's trust. I see Haymitch getting off the train, slowly.

"Uncle Haymitch." I shout, loud enough for him to hear. He locates me and I point to Keeth and signal to Haymitch to bring him with us. Haymitch simply nods and complies. It is just then I realise something.

I won't be able to stay away from my saviour for too long…

 **Review!**


	28. Changes

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games.**

 **A/N: I am here with an early update of a chapter (it is edited right at the end). It is slightly shorter than my most recent chapters but I thought I could treat my readers with a quick update. Here is chapter 28...read and enjoy!**

* * *

 **Changes**

Wearily, I walk across the square from the Hob. Jesse and I traded three rabbits and two squirrels there and after a lot of insisting I handed over all the food we got from the trade to Jesse. With three Victors and three monthly allowances, I have way more money than I need or use. Even with two Victors, we had more than enough. Jesse needs the food. Which is why, I go hunting with him, so he can catch something for his family. However I cannot deny that the woods is my only place of solitude, especially after the Games. The place makes me feel free and alive and not just some caged prized possession of the Capitol, something that everyone dies to see but no one cares about later on.

After two weeks of being back home from the Capitol, today was the first time I was actually able to escape the confinement of the District. A district that used to smell of freedom, now reeks of hostility. The cameras and reporters left yesterday after their set of interviews and photographs were taken. I know this isn't the last of them, but at least they've gone for the time being.

I was itching to go to the woods for the whole two weeks, mainly because I wanted to actually breathe without it being filmed, but also because I needed to talk to Jesse and it wasn't going to be possible with cameras everywhere. But today, now that I have met him, I know exactly what went on when I was away.

After the tribute parades, Maynard, our old Mayor of 12 was dragged off the stage and brought to the square and was shot by a Peacekeeper in public. People were outraged and began to attack the Peacekeepers but everything stopped after a few shots of the gun. The next morning it was declared that Mayor Langston would be in charge. I know the Langston family very well. They owned the jewellery store and were the second richest people in 12, not including us, with the first being the Mayor. Now they are the wealthiest in our District.

I am in fact friends with his son, Aiden Langston. He is my age was in the same class as me at school. We used to get along pretty well and sometimes we used to team up on projects when Jesse and Amethyst would partner up. He is a blond haired guy, with hazel-brown eyes. He is quite optimistic and funny, but is a good friend and can always give advice when needed.

But I don't think I will be taking advice from him. I don't think we will be friends, especially after the fact that his family ordered for the medicine factories to close down and was replaced by the mines. He also ordered for all shops and businesses that aren't creating much profit to shut down, which included Jesse's antique shop.

All the people that didn't own businesses had their homes demolished, and new battered homes were built. Like the ones that used to be in the Seam, with only few rooms and few hours of electricity. People who do no own businesses, which is everyone who had their house demolished, was forced to go work in the mines if they are over the age of 18, which meant Jesse's father (a rebel who fought in the war) had to go work there too, soon joined by Jesse in over a year.

Hatred and bitterness spread across the people who now live in the Seam, at the sight of the Mayor and every other person in the "Merchant" section of town (people who kept their businesses.) Amethyst Marchand was lucky as the Langston family decided to hand over their business to the Marchand family, consisting of her mother and Amethyst, which meant avoiding working in the mines. Amethyst's father was rebel during the war and even survived by sustained an injury, which pro-longed, causing him to pass away. Amethyst was about 10 years old during that time. That is the only thing I respect the Langston family for. When I utter the family name for my mouth, hatred boils through me, especially because after two weeks of coming home I have witnessed massive changes, especially in atmosphere. The current atmosphere is sullen and pessimistic, when it used to be cheery.

While the camera crew were here, we had to go for dinner at the Mayor's house along with our mentors. I didn't get a chance to talk to Aiden then, due to the cameras, but today we have a dinner that will not be televised. This is my chance.

In my journey through the square towards the Victors Village, I notice many people staring at me. I have been stared at a lot since I have come home, and I have heard it is about me supposedly kissing Mason. I have also heard that Keeth has been getting quite a bit of stares too, for obvious reasons.

As I enter the Victors' Village as strange chill flows through me, something that never existed before the takeover. The village is emptier than before, will all the ordinary residents kicked out of their houses. I have now been given a house next to Haymitch, which is on the other side of where my house is. It used to be my Dad's but now he doesn't own it. Victors are meant to live in the house given to them and all my clothes were moved in my new house before I even got home.

I am told to live in the house given, but since when do I follow what people say. I sleep, eat and practically spend a lot of my time at my old home, only coming back to the house given when I need clothes. Keeth's house is next door to my family home. All the houses, except for mine and Haymitch, give off a warm feeling, with smoke escaping chimneys and smell of food being cooked. My house is dull and honestly it seems like no one lives there, which is quite true. However I do take care of my house, occasionally gardening and cleaning up. Haymitch on the other hand, still attempts to keep his house looking like garbage. But I go to his house every other day to clean up and make sure he is living properly.

Haymitch comes over to our house for meals, if he is awake, and Keeth comes for dinner mostly every day, to my dismay. Dad tells me that he is already living all by himself and deserves some company, to help him cope with all the traumas of the Games. Something that I have been experiencing too. I haven't really talked to Keeth, except during interviews which is needed if I want to show that we are friends. I do not intend on talking to Keeth either.

I open my unlocked door and run upstairs to get ready for the dinner. I pick out a nice pink top and comfortable pants to go along with it. Since this isn't televised, the dresses stay inside my cupboard, leaving me to choose between clothes I actually like. Once I have braided my hair and I walk out of my house to go to my home, because home is where my family is. The place given by the Capitol is just a house, nowhere near my home.

Dinner at the Mayor's house is quite awkward with all the silence between us. The whole Langston family is present, except for Mrs Langston. Apparently, she had to go to the Capitol to attend some important business. The rest of the family are Mr Langston and Aiden. He is an only child. Keeth and I are made to sit next to each other and I am stuck sitting opposite Aiden too. The dining room in the Mayor's house is quite extravagant with a lot of antique items of showcase, probably bought by Maynard from Jesse's antique store. I just play around with my food, as does everyone else until Mayor Langston begins to speak.

"You're Games were quite popular, Miss Mellark and Mr Ambertson. I enjoyed them too, if I do say so myself." Mr Langston says, with the poshest tone he could possibly pull off. Why couldn't he have let us eat in silence?

"Thank you. And call me Ashlyn." I reply and put my head down again and play with my food, until I remember something.

"Mr Langston." I say. Aiden." I say and he looks up from his plate. "Thank you for handing the jewellery store to Amethyst. Her family really needed that."

"It was our pleasure. We were absolutely certain that they would be able to handle the shop very well." Mr Langston says. I cringe at his tone. It reminds me so much of Aquilo. The torture soon ends as everyone finishes off their desert and In Haymitch's case his bottle of drink and we are soon led to the door. We walk halfway to the Victors Village when I urge my parents and Haymitch to go home along with Keeth and tell them I will be at the Mayor's house as I forgot something there. Reluctant at first, they soon agree and I head back off to the Mayor's house. I walk to their back door to try to call Aiden, but instead I find him sitting on the swing of his porch. He looks up when he hears my footsteps and there is a glimpse of shock and surprise in his face. I walk up to him and take a seat on the swing next to him.

"Why're you back?" Aiden asks in a harsh tone.

"Do you have a problem?" I ask, mimicking his tone.

"No." He says quietly. "I was just asking."

"I didn't expect this from you or your family, Aiden. Something tells me that it isn't what it seems, but I don't want to take the chance of trusting." I say, looking down at my hands.

"You're hurting." I look up at him. "I know. You were never like this before. You were so positive and had faith in everyone. You've changed."

"At least you admit it." I say.

"I don't see the point in hiding it." He says and I nod. "I saw what happened in the Games. I don't know who's right or who's wrong, and I don't think I could ever say, but please don't change yourself Ashlyn. Don't give them what you want." His words surprise me. I thought that he would favour the Capitol with every step he takes.

"What? Why are-."I begin questioning but I am interrupted.

"A lot of things have happened when you were away. Things people could see. And things people couldn't." He begins.

"But peop-." I begin.

"We were forced. Forced by Aquilo to take power of 12. Every decision made since then has been made by Aquilo. Not us. This isn't what we want."

"You could've refused." I blatantly say.

"You think it's that easy." He scoffs. "We were threatened. Aquilo would kill all of us. That's why we didn't refuse." He say and I sigh. He isn't bad, just another victim of Aquilo. Just like every other person in this country.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't worry. You're not the only one."

"At school?" I ask and he simply nods.

"It's everywhere. And who can blame them? We took away everything we earned from the war. It is just like it was before. Like a war never happened." He says. We fall into a strange silence.

"If you ever feel lonely, you know you could always come to the Victors Village. There are quite a lot of people to keep you company. Like me." I suggest.

"I wouldn't do that to you people. You wouldn't want to be associated with me." He says.

"You're acting like everyone in the District loves me. I get stared at quite a lot for the drama in the Games. I don't think I'm their favourite either." I say and he bursts out into a laughter and I soon join him.

"But I don't think I can put you and your family in this situation. You've been through a lot." He says.

"Well, a little more can't harm me then?" I say and we both smile.

"It's nice to see you smile. Haven't seen you do that in a while." He comments.

"Same. Seems like were are good for each other. To get over this." I say.

"Maybe we are." He says and extends his hand. "Friends?" He asks. I look at his hand for a long time.

"Maybe." I say and laugh. I get off the swing and begin to walk home but stop and turn around.

"See you tomorrow?" I ask.

"We'll see."

* * *

I enter the house and flick the lights on only to find a white envelope on the coffee table with a red stamp on it. Gently, I open the envelope and take out the crisp white paper from inside it.

 _Dear, Ashlyn Mellark._

 _Congratulations on your extraordinary win. The Capitol people are so delighted about your victory, not to mention the Districts. I, especially, am quite pleased, knowing that you did follow my advice I gave you before the Games. And you survived._

 _Your survival indeed, along with Keeth Ambertson's, brings up a sign of unity for the Districts. Something they once saw in your mother can now be seen in you. You're their strength and power to push them ahead towards peace. I advise you continue bringing up that sign, for the Districts to get a sense of hope that they aren't abandoned. You have that fire that they need to survive._

 _This letter is also a warning. The coming Games will have a special twist to it, seeing as it would be the 100th Games if the war never occurred. There will be quite a few stakes and risks with this, but we need to ensure your safety. I only have one thing that I need to say to you._

 _Your escape is through District 12…_

 _PU – Anonymous_

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 **A/N: I know this chapter did not have a lot in it but it was a filler chapter so that you know what has happened during the Games. I know there isn't a lot of drama and some of you may even think it is quite boring but we need these kind of chapters if we want something interesting in the future. I thought I should clear that up.**

 **And I also want to know about your views on Aiden Langston. I would really appreciate it.**

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	29. Rebellion?

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games (I wish I did though)**

 **A/N: Surprise! I managed to slip in another chapter. Don't worry. This chapter is full of drama. Thanks to all my reviewers. Here is the next chapter. Read! And. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Rebellion?**

I sit as motionless as the rock beneath, while the sun is at his highest point in the sky looking down at me. The sun's bright light and heat still cannot stop the cold air from looming around the air, indicating that the cold season is coming. It isn't my favourite season, mainly because it makes hunting difficult as most animals don't come out that often. This means that I won't be able to catch any game, and even though I have always been able to buy butcher meat in town, everyone in my family, especially my Mum likes the fresh game. But she catches the game for our family to eat. My hunting reasons are different. Jesse really depends on me, even if he doesn't mention it, and I know that I need to help.

I stand up and pace around to stop my joints from complaining considering I have been in the woods for about 4 hours. I stretch for a while and when I feel somewhat more energetic I pick my bow up.

Jesse spends a lot of his time at school and Jesse's father, Mr Remington, has to go work in the coal mines so I need to help out. I only manage to see Jesse in the mornings before he leaves to school and on Saturdays and Sundays because after school Jesse goes to the jewellery store. Amethyst decided to help Jesse by giving him a job to help out at the jewellery store after school. The pay is good too. But it isn't enough and Jesse won't accept money from me. Therefore I thought that if I help out by feeding the family they have one less expense. And the same goes for Amethyst's family. The rest of the haul goes to the orphanage.

The letter I received four months ago was crumpled and scrunched up in my hands and instantly thrown away into the fire. I was sick and tired of death. I wanted to escape from it. I let the letter burn. I let all the information I received burn, except for one. That is _your escape is through District 12._ The only information I need, just in case.

After about two-three hours of hunting I manage to gain as much game as I need. The fence is no longer electrified. It wasn't electrified when I got back from the Games, so I have no need to question it as it comes as a benefit more me. And my loved ones. I believe it happened because Peacekeeper Rufus Donnelly got transferred, to I assume District 11. Well I am happy I don't need to see him again.

My first trip is to Jesse's house. Lily, Jesse's mother, is sitting in the kitchen with a mug in her hands when she spots me from her window walking up towards her house. She waves and disappears to open the door. She greets me pleasantly.

"Nice to see you, dear." She says as she lets me in.

"Nice to see you too Lily. How's your health?" I ask, knowing that she has some illness. After the takeover, Jesse's family have not been able to get the Capitol medicine she needs to recover. She was almost at the death bed until I managed to call Effie and ask her to send some of the medicine.

"Better thanks to you." She says as I sit down at her dining table.

"That reminds me." I say, rummaging through my bag to get her pack of medicines for the month. "And." I say taking out the game for her family.

"I don't know how I could-" She begins but I take her hands in mine.

"I'm not going to hear it." I say.

"Fine I won't say it." She says.

"Jesse?" I ask, not sure whether he would be home at this time.

"At the shop." I nod in response. "Talk to him, Ashlyn. He seems to be bothered about something and I know he'll only tell you."

"I will only be able to see him on Saturday."

"I know. He always has this strange smile on when Saturday rolls by." Jesse always likes hanging out with me and same for me.

"I'm running late, Lily. I better be going." I say as I make my way to her door.

"Come by often. It makes me feel less lonely." She says. I give her a quick hug.

"It will all be fine." I say rubbing her back and then leaving.

I decide to go to e Hob. I haven't had Greasy Sae's soup in a while. When I enter the Hob, I don't get any odd looks. I have been coming here since I was 12. I locate Sae's stall and haul myself up onto the stool and ask for my usual. I am about to take my first helping when I hear a voice.

"Finally decided to pay me a visit, huh?" I hear Desmond. Peacekeeper Desmond. He used to work in the antique store but then was forced to be a Peacekeeper when it closed down. I feel sympathy for him. People are hating him, when in actual fact he isn't bad at all.

"Not you. I came to see Sae." I say as he asks Sae for some food.

"Are you sure? Because it seems like you're here for the food." He says pointing at me stuffing my face with her food.

"Okay fine. Both." I say and we both laugh.

"Seems like you've forgotten about everyone after you became a Victor. You're too good for us huh?" I roll my eyes.

"Oh. Don't trouble the young girl, Desmond." Sae intervenes.

"Young girl?" He muses. "She's too deadly to be a young girl." He says and that's when it hurts. I throw my bowl on the table, place several coins on the table, even though it is too much, and stomp towards the exit.

"Ashlyn. I'm sorry. I went too far. Forgive me." He shouts behind me but I ignore him and make my way to the orphanage where I give my game and make my way to the Victor's Village. My thoughts are filled with Desmond's words. Deadly? Is that how people view me now? As a ruthless killer? Maybe that is what I am. Just another blood-thirsty Victor, ones that used to exist in the Career Districts.

After quite a bit of walking, I get to the Victor's Village and decide to head to my house. But when I get there I am in for a shock. Sitting on my stairs on my porch, is a boy with blond hair. The one I confided in four months ago. The one who I invited to come over to the Victor's Village. The one I thought would support me through this tough time. The one who didn't turn up. At the sight of me Aiden stands up.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, with a hint of bitterness in my tone.

"No time for questions. Come with me." He says, tugging on my arm. I pry his hand of my arm and refuse to move.

"I'm not going anywhere with you." I say.

"You choose now to be stubborn." He says and I roll my eyes. "Just trust me."

"That's the one thing I can't do." I scoff. It is true. I hate him. I hate Aiden Langston. For not turning up that day. For giving me the cold shoulder. For acting like we have never spoken. I hate him for shattering my hope.

"Okay. Don't trust me. But you do trust Haymitch don't you? I mean you call him your uncle." I nod. Is he telling the truth? I mean he mentioned Haymitch. No. It could be his trick. "Just come with me already. I won't kidnap you. I think people would realise if a Victor has gone missing."

"Fine." I say and begin walking behind him, keeping a slight distance between us. I realise that he is walking towards the Mayor's mansion.

"You know you could've just said we were going to your place." I say as we approach his house.

"Not exactly." He says as he pulls my arm and runs around his house, across a plain of grass, getting closer to the fence. I have never seen this place before. The place seems deserted. I should've never trust him.

But then I soon notice a black shed in the distance. We begin sprinting until we reach the door. Aiden knocks on the door, while I catch my breath. I hear a bit of shuffling until I see the door handle move and the door swings open. I am pushed inside. The place is quite big. There is a big table in the middle of the room with a few chairs. There's a board nailed to a wall on the side. At the far end of the room there are several screens and monitors showing different scenes, of my Games. All starring me.

The first person I see is Mr Langston. Why would he want me here? Maybe Aquilo is finally punishing me for everything I have done. Probably torture me and give me the slowest possible death. My breathing becomes more frequent but I try my best to control it. But my breathing settles at the sight of Haymitch appearing from another room, along with Keeth. Keeth also looks confused about why we're here. We all gather around the table until one speaks up.

"What's this place? And why're we here?" Keeth asks. I am still speechless.

"All questions will be answered." Mr Langston says. "This is a hideout. Control room. Headquarters. Base. Anything you want to call it. It is a place for planning." He says.

"Planning what?" Keeth asks again.

"A rebellion." Haymitch answers and Keeth and I look at each other with the same fire but fear in our eyes. "We've been planning this ever since Aquilo took power. The only thing missing in the plan was you." Haymitch says pointing to me. "When you were in the Games, people felt a new hope rising. Your speech of unity. Your displays of compassion towards others, all gave hope for a better world. Since then our plan has been in action."

"See those screens and monitors over there. They project all the different Districts. All of them. We have contact with every Victor or rebel in each District, who'll spread the news. These communication lines aren't tapped either, so the Capitol have no clue." Mr Langston continues.

"We plan on another escape from the arena. During which all the Districts will rebel." Haymitch says.

"It could be risky. And many deaths." Keeth says.

"All the Districts will rebel at the same time. It minimises casualties and the Capitol will not know where to attack." Mr Langston explains.

"A simultaneous attack. " Aiden says.

"Indeed the Capitol, at the time of the Games, only have a limited amount of hovercrafts and can therefore only attack one District." Haymitch says.

"But then where will the residents go?" Keeth asks.

"District 13." Haymitch says and after looking at our confused faces continues. "It was bombed. But it didn't have much of an effect on its underground system."

"How do we know they are willing to help us?" Keeth asks.

"They contacted us yesterday. It was a reply to a message we sent them. They are willing." Mr Langston says.

"We are ready. All we need is the face. The Mockingjay. Ashlyn. Are you ready?" Haymitch says. That's when I realise that I haven't spoken at all since I got here. I only manage to let out one work.

"No." I say as I run out. I don't want to be the cause of so much death. I in fact don't want to witness any more death. I am fine. I can manage in this new world. It would be difficult. But I can manage. I am sure of it. I hear someone call out to me but I carry on running until I feel someone pull strongly on my arm and am pulled to face Aiden.

"Why'd you refuse?" He asks.

"Because I don't want to be a part of all this bloodshed and death. I just want to live a normal life. I just want to be with my family." I say.

"I never thought you would be so selfish." He says.

"If survival is selfish. Then I am." I say.

"You can support people and get them out of all this trouble. Why don't you understand?" He says.

"I can't even support myself. How will I support others? And even if I agree no one will support me afterwards." I say, hinting the last bit at him.

"Why do have to bring that up again?" He says, clearly annoyed. My goal's achieved.

"Because I thought we could support each other. You gave me a sense of hope when we talked by your porch. I thought you would come. But you didn't. You gave me a cold shoulder afterwards and completely ignored me. You wouldn't even let a smile slip. I thought you were a nice and considerate person. That's what I assumed with that one conversation. But I was wrong."

"That conversation was a mistake." He says. "I wasn't meant to be nice to you. I wasn't meant to get distracted from my goal. The rebellion. But after that conversation. I did. You distracted me. I was supposed to be ruthless. Ruthless enough to kill the enemy. But I felt like I couldn't after talking to you. So I didn't want to be near you. You weren't meant to know about this and I just knew that I would tell you if I were to spend time with you."

"I just want to know one thing. Which one is the real you? The old Aiden. Or the new one." I say.

"The new one."

"So that was fake." I say. "I am glad you didn't turn up that day." I say as I speed walk to the Victor's Village. When I get there it is dark and I decide to skip dinner. I go to my home to tell my parents that I am not hungry and then walk over to my house. I want to be alone tonight. With my own thoughts I change into comfortable clothes and slip into my cold bed. The images of innocent people dying over and over again. _My decision was right,_ I repeat in my head many times as my eyes close.

* * *

I wake up quite late in the morning. Late for me at least. I take a long shower and change into a grey top and black pants and tie my hair in a braid. As I make my way downstairs to go to my home for breakfast, I hear a faint beeping. I try to locate the noise, which seems to be coming from the study. Gingerly, I walk towards the study, thinking about all the possibilities of the sound. My hands shiver as I place it on the door knob. I open the door to see a hologram. A black beard. Snake-like eyes. White rose on his lapel.

Aquilo…

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	30. Threats Come True

**Disclaimer: I, unfortunately and sadly, do not own the Hunger Games.**

 **A/N: Hey guys. I am here with a dramatic chapter, which I am sure you will love. But first of all, I only got 4 reviews for my previous chapter. I thought that my readers wanted the drama I put in that chapter. Please, guys. I need you to understand the importance reviews have for me. It inspires me to write better. So pretty please, review for this chapter. So here's chapter 30: Read and enjoy...**

* * *

 **Threats Come True**

 _I open the door to see a hologram. A black beard. Snake-like eyes. White rose on his lapel._

 _Aquilo…_

I feel my hands shiver at the sight of his beady eyes looking at me. I feel my legs becoming frozen but I try my best to compose myself as I walk into the room, shutting the door behind me. As I walk towards the hologram, looking down at the floor, I sense his eyes burning through my soul. When I get at the right distance I look up. Aquilo is sitting at a desk, hands folded, showing his sophistication. He is surrounded by simple things like a pen holder and a cup of what I assume is tea.

The same questions replay in my head. What is he doing here? There's nothing going on at the moment. It's been four months since the Games. The Victory Tour is in two months. So what could possibly be the reason?

It may not be that serious, which is why he hasn't travelled all the way to 12 just to talk to me. Probably some petty issue. I am sure. But the thing is I'm not.

There's a possibility he wants to talk to me about the Games and practically every action I did that probably upset him. There's a long list for that.

I sit motionless, eyes focused on his eyes.

"Ashlyn Mellark."

"President Aquilo."

"How is everything in District 12? Your family and friends. Are they fine?" He asks, cordially. I merely nod in response. "Well, you must be wondering why I decided to talk to you." I nod again. "You see, after your Hunger Games, four months ago, your popularity has increased quite a lot amongst the people of the Capitol. The reason is beyond my understanding. Mostly every action in those Games, done by you, have been a sign of rebellion. I am sure you must be knowing that. Yet the people of the Capitol seem to have taken a certain liking for you. But that is not my problem. My problem is that the Districts have also been taking a certain liking for you. And not just you. But your actions.." He says.

"But I didn't-" I begin, fidgeting with my braid.

"Ah. Nice braid Miss Mellark. Did your mother do it for you?" He asks. I shake my head. "Very iconic, don't you agree?"

"I didn't want to do any of this." I say.

"That seems to be a lie Miss Mellark. It seemed very intentional to not only me but to the Districts."

"Have there been any issues?" I ask.

"No. Not yet. But there's no saying that there never will be. You're seen as a fire risen from the ashes of the rebellion. A fire that needs to be tamed or possibly even burned out." He says.

"How?"

"Distract them." He says and I furrow my brow in confusion. "Distract the Districts. Make them focus on something else. And I have a proposal that can assist you with that."

"What is the proposal?" I ask.

"All in good time Miss Mellark." He says. "It's a deal that will help you and everyone else in Panem lead a peaceful and happy life." I nod. "I want to know whether you accept or decline this proposal." He says. But I don't know what it is.

"How could I say without knowing what it is?" I ask.

"You will find out soon enough Miss Mellark, possibly before the Victory Tour." He says.

"I need some time." I say.

"Take all the time you need Miss Mellark. And if you decline, well, we will need to find a new way to entertain and distract. Perhaps, another Mellark in the next Hunger Games. It will certainly distract people." He says. Rye. No. He is threatening me.

"No. No. Don't hurt…" I begin but am soon cut off by a sound. A sound of melodious music chiming through the Victor's Village. It's piano. It is obviously Keeth. Every morning around about this time Keeth plays on the piano, and due to the humble request from Rye, Keeth makes sure he keeps his windows and door open for him to hear. He play's beautifully. At times I wish I could sing with him, but I resist that urge.

"Is that your mother playing?" He asks. Mum? No. She can't play.

"Keeth." I say in a barely audible volume. "He plays every morning."

"And you sing?" He asks. His questions bewilders me. Why would he know I like to sing?

"Not with him." I say. "How did you know?" I ask.

"The final eight interviews. Your friends praised your singing quite a bit." He says. "You must sing when you come to the Capitol during your Victory Tour. The Capitol will be delighted and maybe the Districts." Is this the deal? It couldn't be so trivial. That's not how Aquilo works. He thinks big. "Mr Ambertson could accompany you. That would be splendid." I simply nod in response, not wanting to go against his wishes. "That reminds me. How is Mr Ambertson doing?"

"I don't really see much of him." I say. "He's busy with his life. And I'm busy with mine."

"Busy at the orphanage?" He asks and I nod. "Well, I wasn't expecting the two of you to be meeting frequently." After a long pause, "Considering the problems between Mr Ambertson and yourself."

"There are no problems." I blurt out.

"Don't lie to me, Miss Mellark. I know perfectly well that you have hurt the young lad very much."

"I have not hurt him." I say, defensively.

"He has hurt you then?" I nod.

"But there are no issues between us. We are just about as close as we used to be."

"That's splendid." After I think everything is fine, he speaks. "But not _too_ close, or you never know what might occur." Was that a threat? To maintain my distance from Keeth. So Haymitch was right.

"Of course." I say. This is one thing I can actually agree on with him.

"How's your friend's mother's health? Jesse is his name right?" He asks.

"She is getting better thanks to the medicines from the Capitol." I humbly say.

"My medical experts have worked very hard on that. And I personally check to see the medicines being packed before being sent to you." He says and then there's a silence between us. He can sense this and begins speaking again.

"I am giving you some time, Miss Mellark. My card is on the desk in front of you and you can just give a call. But remember, the longer you take to accept the more implications there are, if you know what I mean? I mean you couldn't possibly want two loved ones be affected. Now would you?" He says and without giving me any time to respond, he gives me a smile and is hologram vanishes.

What deal could be talking about? Two loved ones be affected? Realisation floods through me. I didn't accept his offer. He is going to take revenge. Two loved ones? With a lot of power, I push back the chair, swing the door open and run out. I get out of my house, not bothering to even close the door behind me. There's no point. No one's going to steal anything and honestly, I don't mind if they do.

I run across the Village to Haymitch's house. I run into his house to find him sleeping on the couch. He's fine. I run to my home. I burst through the door and make a beeline for the kitchen. In the kitchen is Mum and Dad. Dad cooking and Mum having a cup of hot chocolate. Both of them see me and smile. I try to catch my breath before speaking.

"Are you alright, Ash?" Dad asks.

"Are you fine? Both of you." I ask.

"We're absolutely fine, sweetie." Mum says. I look around the house. No sign of Rye. No. No. No. Is he in trouble? Is he who Aquilo is going to hurt?

"Rye." I say.

"What's wrong?" Dad asks.

"Where's Rye?" I practically shout.

"In his room. He has contracted a flu so he's staying at home." Mum says. It's not my parents. Not my brother. Not my uncle. Who? Think, Ash. Think. Who could it be? I replay the conversation with Aquilo several times. There could be a hint there. I feel I am losing hope at figuring it out, until it strikes me. The question "Busy at the orphanage?" Aquilo mentioned Keeth and the orphanage. Is that who it could be? But he is a Victor. I don't think hurting a Victor would seem like an accident.

"Where's Keeth?" I ask, with a sense of urgency. I see Mum and Dad surprised. Probably because I haven't talked to Keeth for four months and even used to resent hearing his name.

"At the orphanage. Remember." Mum says. Today's Saturday. His day to visit the orphanage. We mutually decided that I would visit every Sunday and he would every Saturday. It's Keeth. Keeth is who Aquilo hinted at. He mentioned him and the orphanage and that's exactly where Keeth is. But Aquilo said two people. I start pacing in the kitchen, trying to think. Mum and Dad sense my anxiety and fear and come near me and give me a hug.

"Are you alright, Ash?" Dad asks, and I nod. "Are you feeling ill? The medicines are…" Dad begins but I cut him off.

"Medicines!" I shout. Jesse. His mum. Lily. No. No. No. What do I do? I look at the clock. 9am. Lily takes her medicines soon. And Keeth he is probably approaching the orphanage. Who do I save? I can't choose between two lives. "Mum." I say, urgently. "Mum, listen to me carefully. You need to get to Lily's house right now. Stop her from having her medicines."

"Why? What's wrong? Is there…" Mum begins.

"This isn't the time for questions Mum. Just go. Now!" I say. Mum wears her shoes and runs out of the door.

"Dad. Stay home with Rye. Don't go anywhere. Okay?" He nods and I dart out of the door and through town. The orphanage is quite far away from the Victor's Village. It is right at the end of town and quite an isolated part too. No houses or shops nearby. Only grass. I run past many people, who all give me quizzical looks. As I near the orphanage my heart begins to race. By legs begin to give in to my tiredness but I push myself forward. I need to save Keeth, or I'll feel guilty my whole life. I stumble over several rocks on the path, but I manage to pick myself up and run.

As I run, all I can think off is Keeth. The moment he saved my life. When he volunteered for my brother. When we became close. When he apologised in front of Panem. When I admitted I loved him. All the good things about Keeth flood my brain.

When I get to the gates of the orphanage, I see Keeth approaching the steps of the porch. He is safe. So whatever Aquilo said was a lie. No, Ash. Don't underestimate Aquilo. He is ruthless. I cannot let him enter. It could be unsafe.

"Keeth!" I shout, still panting. Immediately he turns to look at me, a large smile on his face.

"Ashlyn." I barely hear him say. He turns around, grinning from ear to ear as he walks away from the orphanage towards me. That is when it happens.

The ground begins to vibrate fiercely. I look up at Keeth and he has the same confusion I probably have on my face. I grab the fence for support and Keeth takes a couple steps back and the shaking stops. I am about to give a sigh of relief when an instant later…

A blinding flash appears, along with a loud bang. I am pushed backward and I fall, not far from where I was. A huge ball of fire belched upward, leaving a series of some rings to float. I manage to regain my stability and stand up.

Helplessly, I watch the orphanage being blown to bits. I let out a painful scream at the sound of the begging whimpers of the children inside. Screaming. Shouting. Whimpering. Begging. I try to make my way to the children, but I can't. I can't see anything. The smoke is too thick. I try my best, with my hands, to get rid of the smoke, but it is no use. There's nothing I can do to save them. All I do is fall to my knees and sob.

What did these innocent children, who have only experience sadness in their lives, do to Aquilo? They were just trying to live their life, happily. Like Keeth was. Keeth! Where is he?

"Keeth!" I exclaim. "Keeth. Where are you?" I ask, not able to locate him through all the smoke.

"Ashlyn!" He exclaims, with a lot of pain in his voice. "I'm here."

"Where?" I question, trying my best to get closer to his voice. The black smoke begins to thin, which allows me to walk faster, until I see him, lying on the grass. He doesn't seem to have any injuries due to the explosions but I see a puddle of blood under his head. He lifts his head up slightly and that's when I see the rock, stained with his blood. His eyes struggle to stay open but I keep motivating him to stay with me.

I need to take him to the apothecary. Or he may not even survive. I struggle to get Keeth to sit up. I crouch down next to him and lift his arm to place over my shoulder. With full force and power, I stand up, carrying his weight too. It takes some time walking but I finally get the hang of it. I am not used to taking a lot of weight but I need to do this. My knees wobble several times but I try my best to control my urge to stop and rest and carry on. I make it to town after a long time.

Every person in town has stopped their daily work to stare at the sight. They whisper to the nearest person about sight of a Victor injured. I ignore the chatter and become more focused on getting Keeth to the apothecary. Suddenly, I feel the weight on my shoulder decrease. I turn to my right to see Aiden Langston, taking Keeth's other arm and placing it on his shoulder. He gives me a sympathetic smile and I return it and we carry on walking.

"What happened?" He asks.

"Aquilo." That is all I say because we have reached the apothecary.

Aiden pushes the door open with one hand, expecting only the lady that works there. But instead there are a crowd of people in there. Strangers. What's wrong? I let go of Keeth gently and I make my way inside. I push the people out of my way to make it to the front. I hear the doctor say that the person has passed away. Who has died? And how? Was there a mining accident? As I get to the front I see familiar faces. Mum. Amethyst. Jesse. Dad. Then the realisation hits me.

On the bed is the cold, lifeless body of Jesse's mum. Lily.

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	31. Ready

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games, although I wish I did.**

 **A/N: I got a lot of reviews for the last chapter. Pretty please, keep it up. Sorry for not updating for quite a while, things just turned up. Sorry. Here's chapter 31. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **Ready**

On the bed is the cold, lifeless body of Jesse's mum. Lily.

I stand in front of her soulless body, frozen and incapable to move. The weight of grief and sadness gluing my feet down to the ground. Helplessly, I watch Jesse crouch down beside his mother and take her cold hand into his warm hands and begins rubbing them soothingly, with the hope of maybe reviving her with his love. Tears flow down in defeat as he watches no sign of his mother being alive. He gently places a kiss on her hand and sets it next to her body. He puts his head on his mother's chest and sobs loudly, but it comes out as a muffled one. I want so bad to support Jesse right now and give him a hug. But Amethyst, who I assume just arrived, gets to him first and gives her shoulder for him to cry on. I just stand at the back and watch.

I believe Aiden called Ivy, the healer, over to him to tell her about Keeth, but I cannot focus on them right now. I can't go away from Lily. I hear footsteps and I think Keeth is put onto the second bed to be treated. But I cannot take my eyes away from Lily. I don't know why she died but I can take a guess and say it was because of me. I feel an arm around my shoulder and I look up to see Mum, trying to give me a reassuring smile. I look at her with teary eyes.

"How?" I choke out.

"Poison. I believe they were in the medicines she had." Mum says. I feel like a ton of bricks have been dropped on me. So it is your fault Ashlyn. In my head I can hear Aquilo's voice say _"My medical experts have worked very hard on that. And I personally check to see the medicines being packed before being sent to you."_ He personally checked them, to make sure that it was poisoned. Aquilo did this to Lily. If only I just accepted the deal right away. I should've known that Aquilo would do this. But I was just stupid. Stupid enough to think that Aquilo would just allow me to take my time and respond to a question, which was only meant to have one answer. And that was yes. But that is the one thing I didn't say. And because of my foolishness, several innocent people died, and a Victor is in between life and death. All because of me.

"Lily!" I hear someone exclaim and then when I see the tall demeanour of the man I know it is Mr Remington. The pain in his voice is evident to me as he runs up to his lifeless wife. That's when I cannot take it anymore. I push past all the people around and run out of the door. I go out and sit on the steps of the apothecary and place my head on my knees and begin to cry. This is all my fault. All the suffering. It's all my fault. Innocent orphans, who probably have never seen happiness in their lives, have been killed off so ruthlessly. And it is all because of me. I'm the worst person that anyone could know. I'm horrible. I hear footsteps near me and feel a presence next to me. It's Dad sitting next to me.

"It's not your fault." Dad says, reassuringly as he begins to open a medical box.

"It is my fault." I say and begin to cry again. Dad takes my hand and begins rubbing it. "I'm the one who gave Lily the medicines."

"Shh. It's okay sweetie. It's okay." He says as he takes me into his arms.

"No it's not okay. Lily's dead because of me. The orphanage was blown up because of me. Keeth is fighting death at the moment. It is not okay."

"The orphanage. Blown up?" Dad asks and I nod. Dad takes out some cotton from the medical box and some liquid. He puts the liquid onto the wool. "You've got a bad cut on your forehead." Gently, he dabs the cotton onto my wound and I wince at the burning sensation, but this is nothing compared to what all the other victims must be feeling.

"Thank you." I say softly.

"Come on. Let's go in." Dad says. I shake my head.

"No. I can't go in." I say.

"Jesse needs your support, Ash. You need to come." He says.

"He doesn't need my support. He probably hates me now." I honestly say.

"It's not your fault, Ash." Dad tries to reassure again.

"It is my fault. This wouldn't have happened if I just accepted the deal." I say and instinctively I cup my mouth with my hands. Dad wasn't supposed to know about the deal.

"What deal?" Dad pries. I look around. Trying to think of an answer but nothing comes to mind.

"Um…" I begin when Mum calls Dad.

"Coming!" Dad shouts. He gets up and walks back in. The guilt still spreads through me. There's no way of making this right. I cannot bring all those people back to life. But I can prevent any more deaths. I run through the square and back to my house. I make my way to the study to dial the number written on the card where Aquilo said I would find contact information. After several rings, his secretary answers.

"Hello. This is President Aquilo's office. How may I help?" She says in her sophisticated tone.

"Hi. I'd like to speak to the President, right away."

"I'm sorry madam you cannot speak to him at the moment." She says.

"Well, tell him that Ashlyn Mellark, Victor of the 77th Hunger Games, called." I say. I am sure she will put me through now.

"Oh. Miss Ashlyn. I'm so sorry. I'll put you through right away."

"Thank you." I say. After a minute or so, I hear his deep voice.

"Ah. Miss Mellark. Did you finally realise the cost of your decision?" He asks in a mocking tone.

"I'm ready to accept." I say flatly. "I accept your deal."

"Wonderful Miss Mellark. But it would've saved you so much if you would've done this before, don't you think?" I don't answer.

"When will I find out what the deal is?" I question.

"Patience is the key, Miss Mellark. You will find out on your Victory Tour. I would like to tell you personally." He says. "Good luck for your Victory Tour." Aquilo says before hanging up.

Two months. Two months until I find out. What could the deal be? What if I have to sell my body like Finnick Odair? Is that why? He said that the Capitol people seem to have taken a liking for me. I shudder at the thought. And why doesn't Aquilo want me to know? Is it so that I cannot plan anything to escape his deal? That's probably why.

Wearily, I walk out of the study and decide to go to my home and check on Rye, He is most probably home alone at the moment. The door today is locked and I take the spare key from behind the flower pot and go inside the house.

As soon as I open the door and I can hear shouting and crying. The sound of crying fills my ears as I slam the front door and run up the stairs, the source of the sound. I press my ear against every door until I hear the shouting clearly. When I get to Rye's room I hear the crying.

My hands are shaking as I try to turn the door knob. When I manage to open the door I see Rye sitting in the corner of his room, knees drawn to his chest and chin in between his knees. Tears are flowing through his eyes and he is rocking back and forth. His eyes are closed. My legs take me to Rye in no time and I go crouch down next to him and wrap my arm around him and shake him back to reality.

"Rye. Come back to me." I say, desperately. "Please." His eyes open very slowly and he stops rocking back and forth.

"Ashlyn." He says softly, which is all he needed to say before I take him into an embrace. I rub his back and then his head.

"It's okay, Rye. I'm here." I whisper in his ear. I finally let go of him.

"It was so real, Ash. I…I…I saw M-mum and Dad and y-y-you getting attacked by m-m-mutts. Y-you were leaving m-me a-a-alone. I got s-s-so scared, A-ash." He says, shivering in fright.

"It's okay Rye. I'm right here. And I'll never leave you." I say, wiping away all my tears and try to appear to be normal. Rye jumps into my arms and I hold him tightly, as if someone were to snatch him away from me. After witnessing everything that happened today, I fear that it is quite likely. But I will protect Rye from anything that comes his way. And that is my vow.

I stand up and help Rye up to and guide him to his bed. I tuck him in, kiss his forehead and begin to walk out of the room.

"Ashlyn." Rye says and I stop and turn. "I can't sleep. Will you sing for me?" He asks.

"Of course." I say sitting down on his bed. "What shall I sing?" I ask.

"Anything. I just want to hear your voice." He says and that touches my heart. I never knew Rye loved me so much. I mean I knew it, but he never expressed it. I think of all the songs I know and all the songs I have written but none of them appeal to me. That is until I remember a song. A lullaby, more like. The one Mum used to sing to us when we were kids. I place my hand on Rye's head, begin stroking his hair and start singing.

 _Deep in the meadow, under the willow  
a bed of grass, a soft green pillow  
lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes  
_ _And when again they open, the sun will rise._

 _Here it's safe, here its warm  
Here the daisies guard you from every harm  
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true  
Here is the place where I love you._

I hear a pair of feet approach me and when I turn I see Mum and Dad. Mum comes over and sits on the other side of Rye and Dad sits next to me. They both join in.

 _Deep in the meadow, hidden far away  
A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray  
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay  
And when again it's morning, they'll wash away._

I notice Rye is already fast asleep. I should stop. But I don't. We are all together right now. We are secure and safe from all the ruthless people.

 _Here it's safe, hears its' warm  
Here the daises guard you from every harm  
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow bring them true _

_Here is the place where I love you._

I plant a kiss on Rye's forehead again and look at his innocent face. Images of his shivering and frightened face fill my mind. He was never like this. He has never been so scared before. The Capitol has snatched away his happiness. His life. The three of us tiptoe out of the room. Once we make our way down to the living room we begin speaking.

"Rye had a nightmare." I say. "He was really scared."

"Where were you Ash?" Dad asks. "We were looking for you everywhere."

"Why? What's wrong?" I ask, my mind coming up with the worst possible situations.

"Lily's funeral." Mum says. "It just happened."

"What!" I say before collapsing onto the ground. I missed her goodbye. I couldn't say sorry. I couldn't say I will miss you. I'm the worst person ever.

"The Peacekeepers said that we had to perform her funeral today." Dad says.

"They didn't every give us any time." I murmur softly.

"We were looking for you, but couldn't find you anywhere." Mum says.

"I came back home." I say. "Has everyone left the apothecary?" I ask.

"No. Aiden's still there." Dad says. That's when it hits me. The orphanage. The explosion. Keeth. I just left him. By himself.

"I…I…I've got to go." I say running out of the door and to the apothecary. My mind repeats the same thing: _Keeth will be fine._

When I reach I see Keeth on the bed unconscious, with Aiden by his side. Slowly, I walk towards Keeth's still body, trying to take in everything that has happened. I don't take my eyes of him. There's a seat next to Aiden and I take it.

"He's critical." Aiden mentions and instantly my hands search for Keeth's and takes one of them into mine. I plant a kiss on his hand and begin to gently stroke it. Ivy walks in, sometime later.

"Ashlyn. It's a good thing you're here. I wanted to tell you that if you want to buy Capitol medicines for Keeth, I can use them." She says.

"No!" I exclaim, startling her. "No. Your herbs and remedies will be fine." I say. No Capitol medicines. The fear of them being poisoned is there in my mind and I don't want Keeth to take that risk. Ivy applies a coat of salve onto the back of Keeth's head to heal the wound from when he hit his head on that large rock and then leaves to her home upstairs. Involuntarily, tears flow through my eyes at the sight of Keeth's state. What if I didn't call out to him? What if he went to the orphanage? What if he died? What would I do? I wouldn't be able to live. The problem is, I don't know why. I don't know why I care so much for him. I want to go away from here and act like nothing happened, but I can't. One look at him and I want to stay by his side.

I feel Aiden take my left hand into his but I don't turn to look at him.

"I never knew Katniss Mellark's daughter would be so weak." Aiden comments.

"I'm not as strong as she was, Aiden. She had the ability to hide her emotions at times and not trust someone that easily. But I don't." I say. "If only I didn't trust him. I wouldn't be feeling so lifeless right now."

"Hey. Don't cry. It'll be okay."

"No it won't." I say. "No until-" I begin but I trail of.

"Until what?" Aiden asks.

"Aiden. I'm ready." I say.

"Ready for what?" He asks me.

Images of the orphanage blowing up, the screams of the children, Lily's lifeless body, Keeth's critical state, Rye's suffering and loss of innocence, my parents, my friends, all the tributes, fill my mind. Everyone's suffering fills my mind. The pain. The anguish. The heartbreak. Now I'm really convinced. I take one final breath before speaking.

"A Rebellion."

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 **I do not own the song 'Deep in the Meadow'. Rights go to Suzanne Collins. I know there wasn't much in this chapter but I needed all these things to happen so that Ashlyn could come to a decision.**

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	32. Best Friend

**Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own the Hunger Games.**

 **A/N: Hey guys. My apologies for not updating for more than a week. It was the last week of school before the Christmas holidays so I had a lot of work. I am really sorry to my readers. Here is chapter 32 and I really hope that you review, no matter if it is positive or constructive criticism. Please do. So here is the next chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Best Friend**

2 days. It's been 2 days since Lily died and the orphanage blew up and I accepted Aquilo's deal. It's been 2 and Keeth has not regained consciousness. Ivy says that if he does not regain consciousness in a day or two, he has no chances of surviving. Those words broke my soul. I have been staying with Keeth all through the night but I end up sleeping instead of watching him. Aiden comes over before school so I can go home and change my clothes and I come back so he can go to school. Haymitch comes to visit Keeth every day and tries his best to convince me to go home and rest, but it never works. I rarely leave his side. Mainly because he doesn't have family to look after him and no friends, especially after the orphanage blew up, and also because whenever I go home my thoughts always go back to Keeth.

When I told Aiden that I wanted to fight and be a part of the rebellion, he didn't say anything. Rather, he just smiled and looked at me proudly, with no hint of shock or surprise at all. He knew my decision. He knew I would realise that I needed to do this.

Right now I am at the apothecary, sitting next to Keeth's bed, accompanied by a flickering candle in the middle of the room and darkness. His hand is in mine as I rub it soothingly. When I sit here looking at him, I see his peaceful expression. Would he be more peaceful away from here? The answer is probably yes. He would probably be very happy away from me. After all, he doesn't love me. But why does everything go back to that? Why can't I forgive and forget? Or trust his words? I care about him, but I don't trust him. Why? That's a question I don't have an answer to.

As the candle light begins to burn out I place my head next to Keeth, on the bed and try my best to keep my eyes open. My hand never leaves his as my eyes begin to close, against my will and I drift off into a land of nightmares.

I feel a soft and gentle touch on my cheek that gives me a strange feeling of butterflies in my stomach. My eyes slowly open at the touch. I squint at the light of the day coming in from the window but then my eyes can focus. Focus on the pair of loving blue eyes, staring directly at me. His hand reaches out to push a strand out of my face. I close my eyes at the magical feeling of his touch. I lift my head up from the table. I realise his hand is still in my hand.

"Ashlyn." He whispers.

"Keeth." I say reaching out to touch his face and make sure it is actually him, awake. "You're awake." He nods slightly and then winces, probably at the pain of moving his head. Automatically, his hand goes up to touch his forehead.

"Ouch. My head." He winces slowly. "I hope you didn't do this to me." He says playfully, with a hint of pain in his face.

"If I had anything to do with this, you wouldn't be alive." I say, smiling faintly.

"Probably for the best." He chokes, grimly.

"Maybe."

"What happened?" He asks slowly. He doesn't remember the orphanage blowing up. I don't answer. I'm not sure whether I am supposed to.

"The thing is that the-." I begin but am interrupted by footsteps of Ivy running down the stairs. She notices Keeth has regained consciousness and begins to examine Keeth thoroughly. She declares that he is too weak to leave and has to stay for about a week or two. As Ivy walks towards the staircase she discretely ushers me to her and I comply.

"What's wrong? Anything serious?" I ask in a whisper.

"I want you to take extra care to make sure that Keeth doesn't take any pressure at the moment. He has had a lot of damage done to his head and anything that would cause him tension, grief and sadness should be kept away from him. And he should be kept around his loved ones more. Make him feel happy. That would help him recover." Ivy says and I simply nod in response.

I walk back up to Keeth and stand next to his bed for some time trying to decide on whether I should stay or leave. If I stay, I have to try my best to be nice to Keeth, but it isn't that easy as I always end up talking about the Games, which wouldn't be the best option. If I go, then Keeth will be all alone and I won't be able to focus either. I guess I could send Haymitch over. That would be a good idea. I begin to walk to the door, not telling Keeth anything just in case he tries to stop me. Thankfully he doesn't.

* * *

Slowly, I open the door and slip through it to get into the apothecary. It is dark in here, especially with the candle burned out. I tiptoe to the stool next to Keeth's bed and take a seat, trying not to make any noise. It has been a week since Keeth has woken up. Every day I would send Haymitch over to sit with Keeth during the day, unwilling to go and sit with Keeth when he is awake myself. At night, when I know Keeth is asleep I would sneak into the apothecary and sit with him until morning. I don't know why I keep coming over to the apothecary. I just do, without thinking.

I rest my head on the side of the bed and drift into a slumber filled with the screams of the children.

As the first rays of light shine upon us, my eyes flutter open and I stand up to leave when I hear a voice.

"Ashlyn."

I stop walking but I don't turn around. This is the first time I'm talking to him in a week.

"Don't avoid me." He says. I turn around and face him.

"I'm not avoiding you."

"Yes you are." He says and after a long pause he speaks again, "I know about the orphanage." He says sadly as he looks down at his hands. I furrow my eyebrows, in confusion. "Haymitch couldn't really keep it in him."

"Of course he couldn't."

"Why would you hide it?" He asks. I don't respond. "I had a right to know. It's my home, Ashlyn. How could you not tell me?" He shouts.

"I wasn't supposed to tell you. It wouldn't be safe for you to be told this." I say.

"I want to go there." He says. "To the orphanage."

"No." I say flatly. "You can't." I say thinking about the state of the orphanage, a sight that Keeth wouldn't be able to cope with.

"I want to see the place I grew up in."

"No. You won't be able to handle it."

"It is my home, Ashlyn. And they were my only family. The only thing that was left to protect." He yells.

"You're wrong." I say softly. "It isn't your only family. You have Mum, Dad, Rye and Haymitch. They are your family too."

"And you?" He looks at me. "Are you not my family?"

"No. I'm not." I say.

"Then why did you care for me? Why would you sit with me during the night?"

"Because…because."

"Because you care." He says.

"I don't know." I honestly say. "I don't know."

"I do."

"Maybe." I say, walking towards the door. I stop just before I leave and turn around. "I will take you to the orphanage. When you are allowed to leave, that is." I say as I turn around to walk away, but not before I catch the faint smile on his face.

* * *

I fidget with the end of my intricate braid as I rest my back against the tree trunk. I take deep breaths, trying to take in the peaceful air of the woods. Peace. A word so foreign to me, it seems like it no longer exists.

It's Saturday. Two weeks after everything happened. I recall the events of the past two weeks and I shudder. I lost countless people. For what? For not saying one word. Yes. I regret it. I regret that I didn't agree. I regret my stupidity for thinking that Aquilo will let me off. Not only have I lost the kids and Lily, I have lost my best friend. The person that knows me the best. My hunting partner. My brother. My best friend. Jesse. And who can blame him? I killed his mum. But I thought he would understand that it was not intentional. But after that Thursday last week, I was wrong.

 _After I traded some of my game at the Hob, I decided to go to Jesse's. I haven't talked to him for one and a half weeks. I haven't seen him in the woods or the Hob. I can understand why. As I make my way to his house, I begin to get anxious. What if Jesse doesn't want to see me? There is a high chance that is true. But I can't stop hoping. That's the only thing holding me together. I hope that Keeth will be alright. I hope that no more people will suffer because of me. I hope that Jesse talks to me._

 _At times during the journey, I wonder why I am actually going to his house. I know that if he is angry with me, he will be hurt to see me. But he needs food. I know that Jesse hasn't been going to the woods. He hasn't left his house since Lily's funeral. He needs to eat._

 _Constantly, I check my game bag to see if there would be enough meat for Jesse and Mr Remington and whether they would last for some time. As I walk up to his house, my anxiety increases. My hands shake as I lightly knock on his door. I take long and deep breaths as I wait for someone to answer the door. I hear shuffling behind the door, the unlatching of a knock and then the door opens. His eyes display a sign of shock at the sight of me, but they soon show no sign of any emotion._

 _"_ _Um. Hi Jesse." I say, fiddling with the handle of my bag awkwardly. He does not respond to the greeting. "I know that you haven't been able to hunt. So I, um, got you some, um, meat. To eat." I awkwardly say._

 _"_ _I don't want anything from_ you. _" He says, which almost feels like an arrow being shot at my heart. "I can't risk my dad's life too."_

 _"_ _Jesse. I didn't want anything to happen to Lily." I say, looking down in grief. "I-I just wish I could've saved her."_

 _"_ _But you didn't." He replies coldly._

 _"_ _You can't protect everyone in the arena." I say. This is exactly how I feel. I feel like I am in an arena. With everyone in 12 as tributes. The Gamemaker is Aquilo. And only one winner. One survivor. And the deaths have begun. "No matter how much you want to."_

 _"_ _This isn't the arena." He comments. "This isn't the Games. No one has to die"_

 _"_ _The Games are still on." I say. "Whether you can see it or not. And I am a part of it."_

 _"_ _But my mother wasn't." He says sadly. "She had nothing to do with this.."_

 _"_ _I know. That's the worst bit."_

 _"_ _I just want to know-" He chokes and pauses and then continues, "-if it was your fault."_

 _"_ _I- I don't know." I say truthfully. Is it my fault? For not agreeing? Or Aquilo's. "Bu-" I begin but am interrupted._

 _"_ _Goodbye, Ashlyn." He says as he gives me one last look before slamming the door on my face and on our friendship. I no longer have a best friend. I have lost him._

My heart aches at the memory. Therefore, in order to distract my heart and mind I begin to hunt. It takes some pacing around for my legs and fingers to warm up, especially since the cold air has started to blow in. Picking up my bow and notching it with an arrow I begin to walk deeper into the woods, and after some hiking I hear a bush rustle behind me and immediately I take cover behind a tree, so that the animal behind the bush won't be able to know about my presence.

After a couple of minutes, probably for whatever animal it is to make sure that it is safe, a majestic deer peeks from behind the bush, turns its head around several times before prancing around the bush to stop in front of the tree I am hiding behind. This is amazing. I could make good money out of this. And money means more to give to Jesse. I mean to give to Amethyst to give to Jesse, since he would refuse to take anything from me. I hold out the bow and pull the string to just under my chin and try and focus my eyes on the prey. I exhale sharply and release. I watch the glint of metal travel rapidly and hit the eye. Perfect. A clean shot. I jump out from behind my hiding place and tower over the fallen deer. I am about to take my arrow out when I notice another one, on the other eye of the deer.

"That's my shot." I hear someone shout. I look up to see Jesse run over. He finally notices me and says, "You." Who else would he expect in the woods? Maybe Mum? But he wouldn't shout at her like that. Would he?

"Oh, um. Jesse you can have it." I say, picking up my bow. He needs it more than me. I can always go to the butchers and buy my meat and can always give Amethyst money without selling my haul. But Jesse can't.

"No I don't want it." He replies.

"Please take it. You shot it." I convince.

"No you did." He argues.

"Why are you so stubborn? Just take it. I want to help you" I yell.

"You didn't help me. You can't help anyone." He yells.

"No. I can't. I couldn't do it before. How do I expect myself to do it now?" I say, clearly breaking down. "I couldn't save Lily. I couldn't help her. I couldn't help the children in the orphanage. I couldn't help anyone." I say, sitting down in defeat. "Everyone died. Lily. The tributes. The children at the orphanage."

"What do you mean?"

"I was stupid. They all died because of my stupidity. I should've just agreed to the deal."

"What deal? Ashlyn tell me." Jesse says, clearly worried.

"Aquilo called me on the day Lily died. He told me that there is unsettlements due to whatever I did in the arena and that to stop them I should accept a deal. I told him I would think about it and he threatened me with the life of two loved ones before hanging up. I panicked and I ran to check if everyone was alright. Then when I replayed the conversation in my head I realised that he mentioned the medicines and said he checked them personally.

"You knew. Why didn't you tell us in time?" He asks.

"I sent my Mum. To tell you not to have the medicines. I couldn't come because Aquilo also mentioned the orphanage, where Keeth was. I had to run to the orphanage and when I got there Keeth was going to enter and then it blew up."

"Oh."

"I wanted to tell you this. I really did. But you didn't want to talk to me." I say.

"Because you brought the medicines. I thought it was your fault."

"Did you not trust your best friend for at least a second to realise that I would never do that?"

"The same best friend that didn't come to their best friend's mother's funeral." He responds coldly. That is like a pang to my heart.

"I didn't know. I didn't know when it was."

"You left me by myself at the apothecary."

"I-I had to call Aquilo." I say and then take another deep breath. "To accept the deal."

"What is the deal?" He asks.

"I don't know Jesse. He refuses to tell me. Says he will tell me on the Victory Tour." I say. "I'm scared, Jesse. I don't know what it is. It could be anything." I say.

"It's okay, Ash." He says.

"Ash? You forgive me?" I ask.

"It wasn't your fault. You were just another pawn. Just another victim of Aquilo." He says. I got my best friend back and I'm never going to lose him again.

* * *

Keeth and I walk to the orphanage at good speed. I was surprised to see Keeth back to normal after he was allowed to leave the apothecary. He was quite relieved to leave and I would be too. We don't talk the whole way. The silence is the only thing that is keeping us company at the moment.

By noon we get to the orphanage or what's left of it. A blackened building, with windows shattered, rubble at a ten feet radius and broken down walls. Keeth takes quite a bit of time to gather himself together before we make our way inside the orphanage. We climb through a hole in the wall and jump in onto piles of rock and residue of wooden furniture and brick. Inside the orphanage the walls are still black or grey. In several places there's blood splodges. Rotten flesh around the room. Bodies decaying with bits of bone sticking out. My food travels upwards and catches in my throat and urges me to spill it. Nothing in the room is spared. Everything's torn down or broken. Except…

In the middle of the room is a plush and luxurious wooden table, hand-carved, too expensive to be made in District 12. Sitting on top of the table is a red vase weirdly shaped. Within that vase is a beautiful lily that symbolises so much about Keeth and I, which is shrivelled and withered and on the verge of dying. Next to it is a rose as white as snow, untouched and perfect, both of them there to taunt me. It is like I can hear his voice.

 _One move against me and Keeth is dead._

* * *

 **I am so happy Keeth is conscious. I wasn't planning on killing him. Ha. I was actually not intending on Jesse and Ashlyn talking but I guess it just happened. Hope you liked it.**

 **Please, please, please, please, please REVIEW! THEY MEAN A LOT TO ME!**


	33. Exploring

**Disclaimer: I admit that I do not own the Hunger Games. I love it, but I am not the genius that came up with it.**

 **A/N: Hey guys. I have an early update for you since it is the festive season. 3 days to Christmas. Excited? Thanks for all the reviews I got for the previous chapter and I hope you'll like this one too. Enjoy and don't skip the A/N at the bottom of the chapter. Unless of course you skipped this one too. Ha...**

* * *

 **Exploring**

Keeth and I walk in silence. Both our thoughts on the same thing. On the sight of the orphanage. No matter how hard I try, I can't get the blood and ash out of my head. It has been destroyed. Their existence has been destroyed. What did those orphans ever do, other than be someone I love? Is that all they were punished for? For knowing me? That's brutal.

I really want to get this out of my mind. And out of my heart. But who do I talk to? Who would understand what I am going through?

"I wish I could save them." Keeth admits, finally breaking the silence and interrupting my thoughts.

"There's nothing we could've done," I say. "It was inevitable. The explosives were already in there. I don't know who had the trigger, or if there was any trigger. We couldn't stop it."

"They died because they knew me. That's it. They were innocent." Keeth says, guiltily. If only he knew that it was because of me, not him. "That explosion was meant for me. I was meant to die."

"They died because they knew me. Not you. Their death had nothing to do with you." I say, looking down at the ground while we walk.

"It could be both. Wait. How can you say for sure that it had nothing to do with me?" He inquires but I don't answer. There's no way I am telling him about the deal. After a lot of prying, I still don't answer and Keeth gives up. As we near the Victors Village Keeth speaks again. "If only I died in the explosion, I would've-" He begins but I interrupt.

"You're not going to die. You've been through too much to give up. We all have." I say as we reach the Victors Village. I look at Keeth once more before I turn to walk to my home not wanting to be all alone in the silence at the house. Casually, I walk into the house, my parents are not asking me where I have been like they used to. I mean I have been through the Hunger Games and they, out of all people, understand how it is coming out of the arena.

"Ashlyn." My Mum calls out to me as I begin to walk up the stairs to my room. "Dinner's ready. Come down."

"I don't want dinner. I don't feel like it." I say. I already threw up at the orphanage and I know that the memories will make that happen again. "You guys can carry on," I say, choking slightly. How I wish I could eat with them and be with them like we used to, as a family? But I can't. I am not in the frame of mind to spend time with them because I know I will end up upsetting myself and them too.

"Okay, sweetie. But if you want to eat come down." Dad says sweetly.

"I will," I say running up the stairs and into the room, collapsing on my bed in a fit of tears.

The image of the orphanage haunts me and never leaves my side. I can't forget it. Their lives. If only I died in there. I wouldn't have to go through all this. Maybe I would be more at peace, not living in this world anymore. That's when Keeth's words replay in my mind. The way I reacted when he wished that he would've died. A person's death affects someone deeply. If I were to die, would anyone cry for me? Yes. Mum, Dad, Rye, Jesse, Amethyst, Haymitch, Effie and possibly Keeth. So is wishing for me to be dead just a sign of selfishness? It would be me leaving my friends and family in this world of misery and loss all by themselves, with no one to protect them. No. I need to stay alive for my family and friends. The thought motivates me to do the basic stuff like have a shower and change my clothes. I sit on my bed for some time until I hear a knock on my door.

"Come in," I shout. The door opens and Mum comes in with a tray of food in her hands. "Mum. I told you I don't want to eat." I groan.

"I know. I just needed an excuse to come and talk to you. Peeta wouldn't let me. He said that you need your space." Mum tells me as she places the tray on the table and sits next to me on the bed.

"I understand what you're going through," Mum says.

"I feel useless, Mum. And guilty. Everyone is dying. And it's only because they know me." I say, looking down at my hands. "I just wish that I saved them. The orphans. Lily."

"You can't always do that," Mum says. "You should know that."

"I do. But it's just really hard to accept and live, knowing that people's lives are going because of you and you can't do anything about it." I say.

"It's hard, Ashlyn. I know it is." Mum says, probably recalling everything that she has gone through in the last twenty-five years. "But you'll get through this. You know why?" She asks and I shrug. "Because you have a family to support you." Mum says and I smile. I'm so lucky. I have a family to get me through this or if not, at least, make me smile. I'd hate to imagine how someone without a family would be managing. As soon as the thought is in my head, my mind thinks about Keeth. He has been through the Games, just like me, yet he has no family to support him through the bad times.

"Mum?" I say. "Have you ever felt confused about a person? About if they are good or not?" I ask.

"Yes, I have," Mum says. "I know you're talking about Keeth."

"I'm so confused, Mum. At times, I wish that I console him and see if he is doing fine. And on the other hand, I despise him. I don't know what to do." I say.

"There's some questions in life that can't be answered by someone. You'll only know what to do when your heart tells you what to do. Nothing that I or Peeta say will help you. All it will do is create doubts."

"Maybe." I murmur as Mum gets up, tucks me into bed and leaves the room with the lights off.

* * *

I wake up at the melodious music coming from my open window. I squirm and then I slowly wake up and embrace the beautiful music, that I have missed for quite some time when Keeth stopped playing. I wish I could go in there and sing but every day I convince myself not to.

After my extremely long shower, I run downstairs to eat breakfast with my family. I feel I have a bit more control over my emotions to allow myself to sit with my family. I pick the seat next to Rye, with Mum and Dad opposite us. I serve myself and I am about to take my first bite when there is a knock on the door. Who could that be? Not Jesse or Amethyst. They don't knock. They just walk right through the door, without permission.

"I'll get it," I say, curiosity getting the better of me. Just as I get up, Dad interrupts me.

"I'll get it. I'm closer." Dad says and I slide back on my chair and watch Dad open the door.

"Hello. Mr Mellark." The voice says. "Is Ashlyn home?" Dad takes a step back and invites the person in. I stand up to see who it is.

"She's here," Dad says as Aiden walks into the kitchen.

"Aiden?" I say, surprised to find him looking for me.

"Um, Ashlyn. I wanted to talk to you." He says, awkwardly. Why would he want to talk to me? Strange.

"Oh. Um. Yeah sure. Let's go." I say.

"Ashlyn. Breakfast." Mum says.

"I'll buy something." I say as Aiden and I leave the house.

After leaving enough distance between us and the Village, we begin to talk.

"Where are we going?" I question.

"Shed," He says. This is about the rebellion. We walk past the Mayor's mansion and across the grass plain to get to the building. When we get there, Mayor Langston, Keeth and Haymitch are already there. We gather around the large table as Mayor Langston takes out a large piece of paper and lays it out on the table and secures the corners of it with paperweights. It's a map.

"What's this?" I ask.

"A map of the outskirts of the District," He says. "Of course, you must be knowing about the outskirts of the District already, Miss Mellark."

"I may have some idea." I say, cheekily and in response the Mayor just smiles.

"Good," He says. "I want to know something. Up till which point on this map do you know or have explored?" He asks.

"Up to the lake," I say, taking a pencil and marking it on the map.

"It is crucial that we know everything about these woods as this is going to be our backup in case there are some issues," Haymitch says. "But this is not why you have been called here." Pointing at all of us.

"I have made some discoveries recently." Mayor Langston speaks. "Peacekeepers have been leaving the District and going into the woods and been coming back during nightfall. This has been happened once or twice this month. I suppose you haven't seen anything strange in the woods lately?" I shake my head. "So my guess is correct. There's something beyond the lake that the Peacekeepers have been going to. It could be very important and crucial for the rebellion."

"How?" Keeth asks.

"There could be anything over there. Like things that could be used against us." Langston says.

"I'll go and investigate. After all, I know the woods like the back of my hand." I volunteer.

"She can't go alone," Aiden says.

"The lad's right. You need someone to go with you." Haymitch says.

"No. Seriously." I convince.

"No, you're not going alone," Haymitch concludes putting his foot down. "Keeth will go with you."

"No!" I say, a bit too quickly.

"I can go," Aiden suggests, clearly trying to save me from spending time with Keeth.

"It has to be Keeth, I'm afraid," Langston says. "Because it has to be during the weekdays. The Peacekeepers have usually been going during the weekends and you don't want to be running into them."

"I can call in sick in school," Aiden suggests.

"Nonsense. Peacekeepers check to see whether a child is ill or not when they take a day off from school, remember. It isn't possible." Langston says, finally.

"Tomorrow, which is Monday. You will leave in the morning and make sure to be back before dark." Haymitch says. I nod reluctantly. We are dismissed. We all leave at the same time and I walk with Haymitch until he decides he wants to get some liquor from the Hob. Silently, I walk by myself until someone taps my shoulder. I turn to see Aiden.

"What do you want?" I ask with hostility.

"No need to be defensive Mellark. I'm just here to talk." He says, putting his hands up in a mock surrender.

"Sorry. I'm just not in the mood." I admit.

"Ah, I see. You're upset about spending time with Ambertson." He says.

"Keeth." I correct.

"Yeah, Keeth. Same thing."

"I guess that's the reason why. But I don't know. Anyway. What did you want to talk about?" I ask, trying to get back on point.

"Oh yeah. I heard about you knowing how to play the piano, from the final eight interviews and I, um, wanted to know if you could, um well, teach me, I guess." He asks, awkwardly. I really need to talk to Amethyst about this interview.

"Did that hurt your ego?" I ask and he looks confused. "You seem quite reluctant asking me to help you."

"My dad wants me to have an extra skill. Something about the Capitol wanting me to use my time more. Basically, so that I don't have a lot of free time to you know plan a rebellion." He says and winks at the rebellion bit. I laugh at that bit.

"I guess I could come and teach you. But only if you're a good student." I warn.

"Well. I guess you just have to find out." He says and I shrug.

"Hey. Don't you think it would be a good idea to get Keeth to teach you? I mean from what I heard he is better than me." I suggest.

"No. I don't think it's a good idea. I barely get along with you. I'm not sure how it will work out with Keeth." He replies honestly and I shrug again.

"Okay. I guess I'm your teacher."

"You can come to the mansion in the weekends," He suggests.

"But not in the mornings. That's hunting time." I say. He nods and a silence falls between us. "Okay. So I guess I'll see you soon." I say.

"Yeah. Bye. And good luck." He wishes.

"For what? The mission? Or Keeth?" I ask.

"Both."

* * *

I wake up early the next morning. Before Mum and Dad. I take a quick shower and pack some food in my game bag and leave, but not before leaving a vague note on the kitchen counter saying that I will be home in time for dinner. I jog out of the house and approach Keeth's house and knock on his door. He takes his time to open the door, but once he does we leave immediately.

When we reach the fence, Keeth seems a bit wary about crossing the fence, considering it is his first time and all but when I ask him if he wants to turn back he refuses and says that he will join me. We slip through the fence unnoticed and start our walk to the lake and beyond.

It feels like we're walking for ages but I know it has only been an hour. Keeth walks behind me as I take the lead, considering I'm the one that's been in the woods. On top of all that, Keeth is walking very loudly, as though it is essential for him to break every twig and step on every leaf.

"Can you not walk any quieter?" I ask.

"I don't see the problem in it. I mean we're not hunting." He says. He's right. Why is it bothering me so much?

"Sorry. I guess it's just a habit to walk in silence. You know with Jesse." I say.

"Yeah."

We hike for some more time when suddenly I don't hear Keeth walking with all the loud noises. Instantly, fear takes over my body as I turn around. But it soon subsides when I see Keeth walking behind me. In silence.

"I guess you're not the only one that can walk in silence." He laughs. And for some strange reason, I laugh with him.

When we finally reach the lake, Keeth is awestruck by the view. It is truly breath-taking. I mean that's how I felt when Mum first brought me here. We sit down on the rocks beside the lake for some time, taking in the peaceful atmosphere of this place.

"This. This is just amazing." Keeth praises.

"Yeah. It truly is." I say.

"Now I know why you love the woods so much."

"Yeah. It's where I always go when I'm upset or just want to be in a good mood. And it really helps." I say.

"I can see that." Keeth laughs.

"Shall we carry on?" I ask. He nods. "I won't be able to take the lead on this bit. I've never gone past the lake." I admit.

"We'll explore together." He says and for the first time today, we walk side by side.

We don't venture far until I notice the lack of trees in the vicinity. It's odd. There should be plenty of trees in every part of the woods, apart from the lake. Maybe there's just another lake ahead of here. Nothing more. Hopefully, that is the case. However, that won't solve the mystery of the Peacekeepers in the woods. But still I hope.

I'm wrong.

It isn't another lake. It is a collection of about ten to twenty circular shacks built in a sort of semi-circle, equidistant from the place Keeth and I are standing.

"What's this?" I murmur quietly.

"I guess we have to look inside to find out." Keeth say and I am taken by surprise when I realise he heard what I said. Randomly we pick a shack to explore and make our way over there. Some strange sort of fear creeps up inside me when he near the shack. It could be anything in there. Anything. Maybe this could just be the place the Peacekeepers keep their uniform or food or anything. Anything that isn't dangerous, I hope. Slowly Keeth pushes the door open and I am taken aback at the sight what is inside. My breathing pattern increases at its sight.

In the shack are piles and piles of explosives.

* * *

 **I have decided to ask a question to my readers.**

 **What do you think the deal between Aquilo and Ashlyn is?**

 **Please PM or REVIEW your answers. This question will be valid until the deal is revealed in a few more chapters. When the deal is revealed in the story, I will check which reviewer had the closest or if not same answer and they will be given a special sneak peek by me, which I will PM.**

 **Please participate...**

 **Please REVIEW!**


	34. Party

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games.**

 **A/N: Hey guys. Hope you had a great Christmas. I only got two reviews in the previous chapter. Please review guys. I appreciate them a lot. Here is chapter 34. Read, enjoy and REVIEW!**

* * *

 **Party**

 _In the shack are piles and piles of explosives._

At the sight of the dangerous explosives, I take a few steps back, shocked to see it. Keeth senses my fear and surprise and places his hand on my back and I don't stop him either. Keeth closes the door of the shack and guides me to the adjacent shack. This time, I open the door, trying to maintain a calm posture when I witness another pile of explosives. What is Aquilo's plan? Let the whole district explode. It could be possible. There is enough of it to blow up major parts of the Districts while the other small parts would just crumble down in a few days after. Both Keeth and I don't speak. There's nothing we could possibly say at the moment. We inspect every shack and the sight inside is the same as the others we saw before, except for one of them where the explosives were less.

"I think we need to head back," Keeth says quietly. I simply nod in response as we turn to head back until we hear footsteps approaching us. Panic strikes both Keeth and I as I feel him tense up beside me. We both turn to look at each other, his face showing fright, as mine probably does too. Some voices accompany the footsteps too.

"Desmond, you need to hurry up." A deep voice says. Desmond? Peacekeepers. Keeth and I turn to look at each other again before he pulls me into one of the shacks. We scan the room, hastily, until we decide to hide behind the largest pile of explosives. Keeth keeps peeking out from behind the pile to check if they're coming or not. He quickly ducks when we hear the shack door open. My heart starts pumping uncontrollably. What if they find us here? We will be punished by death. My parents would too. And Rye. And Haymitch. And all my friends. Panicked I grab onto Keeth's hand and he squeezes it reassuringly. How can he be so calm in this situation?

"Desmond." The deep voice says again. "This is where the explosives are kept. On Tuesday, you will come here, leading about three Peacekeepers at night, in order to, take these back to the District." He instructs. "The fence never has electricity running, so there shouldn't be a problem."

"Where do I leave them?" Desmond inquires.

"At the mines." The voice says. Mine explosion. That's the plan. I hear the footsteps as they walk out of the shack. I hear something drop too. Thankfully it is nothing of Keeth and I. We wait for some time and then we leave our hiding spot. When we walk out from behind we notice a gun on the ground. One of the peacekeepers dropped their gun.

"Keeth. They'll be back. Hide." I say quickly and we run back to where we were originally hiding. We hear the shack door swing open and I shut my eyes and pray that we are not found.

"Ashlyn. Keeth." I hear Desmond call out. "I know you're there. So come out." Keeth and I oblige as we slowly stand up.

"How'd you find out?" I ask.

"Keeth's hand could be seen," He says. "Are you two crazy? What do you think you're doing here?"

"We just came to the woods and we saw this place. We didn't know what it was." I say innocently.

"You could've gotten into so much trouble. You're lucky I didn't tell the other Peacekeeper that was with me. Or you two would've been dead."

"I know. I know." I say. "But how did you come back?" I ask.

"I purposely dropped my gun so I had an excuse to come back." He smirks and I smile too.

"What's this about the mines?" Keeth asks. Desmond doesn't respond for a while until he takes a deep breath and speaks.

"There's going to be a mine explosion of Wednesday in Sector 14," He informs.

"What? Why?" I ask.

"I don't know. It was just ordered." He shrugs. That's when something strikes me.

"Is-is this where the-the e-explosions for the orphanage were taken from?" I ask, hesitatingly. Desmond nods.

"I need to be going. You two don't leave for a while, understand?" We nod and Desmond opens the door to leave but stops and turns. "Ashlyn. You owe me a soup at Sae's counter and a shout out at the Hob." I nod again and he leaves. Of course, I do. I always have to owe him something. Keeth and I decide to go to the lake and wait for a while before heading to the fence. As we're sitting on the side of the lake, Keeth takes a stick and begins to fidget with it.

"Can't believe something so beautiful can exist in this cruel place," He says, looking out in front of him, referring to the glistening water flowing gently under the shining sun, surrounded by rocks and foliage, such a deep and perfect green. I look at him as I recall myself saying these exact words to him on the roof of the Training Centre. And I remember his response.

"Beauty is everywhere. Sometimes all it takes is to look." I meaningfully say. He turns to look at me, as if in shock.

"You remember," He says. "The words."

"Just like you remembered mine." I point out.

"But it is true. It's like two different worlds. As soon as you cross the fence, the only thing that surrounds you is the beauty and wonder of nature. It's polar opposite." He says. I don't respond but I do take in the beauty of this place that I now truly do appreciate.

When we assume is just about an hour, we head back to the District, making it back just before it began to get dark. Keeth volunteered to tell Haymitch about our findings and I decide to head home until I remember Mr Remington. This time, I need to tell Jesse. Or I'll never forgive myself. I redirect myself to Jesse's house and knock. Jesse answers the door and is quite surprised to see me, mainly because he wasn't expecting me.

"Ash. Is everything alright?" He asks, worried about my visit.

"Can I talk to you?" I ask. "Outside."

"Yeah sure," He says leaving his house and closing the door behind me. "What's wrong?"

"There's going to be a mine explosion on Wednesday," I say.

"What?" He shouts. I quiet him down. "How do you know? Who told you?"

"Keeth and I were in the woods-" I begin.

"You took _him_ to the woods," He comments. Jesse doesn't like Keeth because of whatever happened in the Games and it is natural. Jesse cares for me a lot. "I thought you weren't talking to him."

"Yeah. We still aren't. But…we were just there Jay, okay." I say, clearly seeming annoyed.

"What do you mean we were just there? There must be some reason."

"There was but, um, I can't tell you," I reply softly.

"Is it really that big, that you cannot tell your best friend?"

"Trust me, Jay. Please." I beg.

"I trust you," He says.

"So we were in the woods and we ventured beyond the lake and then we saw these shacks and they were filled with explosives. Then two peacekeepers came so Keeth and I hid. One was Desmond and he told us that on Wednesday they are going to place the explosives in Sector 14 of the mines."

"Sector 14?" He says. "That's where my Dad works." Now I know why there's this mine explosion. Aquilo wants to hurt me. Again.

"You need to tell him not to go to the mines on Wednesday. At least, he'll be safe."

"What about the others Ash? People will still die." He says.

"I know. But I'm not sure of what to do." I say.

"Neither am I," Jesse says as he puts his arms around me.

* * *

After a quick day of hunting and a visit to the Hob, I decide to head home. There's just one month left until the Victory Tour and I'm not sure how I'll handle it. Especially, seeing the families of all the tributes. Since last month, nothing much has happened in the District. The mine didn't explode after Mayor Langston came up with a solution to keep the electricity running through the fence. This meant that the Peacekeepers could not get the explosives. But, due to the fact that Jesse and I hunt and that at least Jesse relies on hunting to survive, he turns off the fence every now and again so we can slip through. It is probably once or twice a week.

My Saturdays are now the busiest days of the week, as I spend a lot of time at the Mayor's house teaching Aiden the piano. He's a good student if you count out the unnecessary comments he makes every now and again.

I walk as quickly as I can across the square to get to the jewellery shop to wish Amethyst on her birthday since it's a Sunday and she wouldn't be at school. When I walk across the square I notice Amethyst walking out of the Justice Building. Why would she be there? Today's her birthday and she went to the Justice Building. She applied for the tesserae. I decide to confront her, therefore, I wait in the middle of the square for her to arrive but instead she walks over to a brown haired guy. They talk for some time and then she walks away. However he does turn around and I am shocked to see his face. Keeth. Why was Amethyst talking to Keeth? As she walks she notices me.

"Ash," She says.

"Happy Birthday, Amy." I wish her and take her into an embrace. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah."

"Did you just apply for the tesserae?" I ask.

"I had to, Ash."

"Why? You have the jewellery shop."

"It's not enough, Ash. Who would possibly come and buy expensive jewellery in one of the poorest Districts?" She asks. She's right. Who would? I don't respond to her. "Exactly. No one. The Mayor's son and other people in his family come at times and you. Other than that there's probably just a handful of people. And it isn't enough."

"Amy. Why didn't you just tell me about your situation? We're friends, not some strangers." I say.

"It's not that easy to just accept money from someone else," She says and she's right.

"But taking the tesserae isn't the option. Going through the Games is difficult. Look at me. It isn't easy. And taking out the tesserae just increases the odds."

"I need to do this for my mum," She says.

"And what would happen to your Mum if you were reaped for the Games? What would happen to you?" I ask.

"I'd fight in the Games."

"Let's hope that it doesn't come down to that." I wish.

"Anyways. I wanted to tell you about a party at the edge of the Seam, tonight." She invites. That's why she was talking to Keeth. She invited him.

"Did you invite Keeth?" I ask. She nods, sheepishly.

"I know you don't like him Ash and you don't want to talk to him but give him a chance. Besides, Keeth lives all by himself, so I thought that it would be good for him too." Amy's right. How could I be so selfish? I am just thinking about myself.

"I guess you're right." I honestly say.

"So you're coming?" She asks.

"I'll see." I say and she reluctantly accepts my response and walks away.

* * *

My mind seems to be switching between deciding on going to the party or not going. I honestly don't feel like mingling with people, especially since I'm a Victor. I'm worried about others. I haven't really talked to a lot of people after the Games and I'm worried that they may not want to talk to me. And then there's Keeth. I don't want to spend the night answering questions about Keeth or gain weird looks and glances from other people. However, Amethyst is one of my closest friends. If I don't go, she'll be hurt, deeply. This is especially because we haven't been spending a lot of time together. I guess I do have to go.

I put on some comfortable clothes and a woollen cardigan on top because of the cold air. It hasn't begun to snow yet but the air is just as cold as it would be if it were snowing. I wear some gloves and hop into some boots and walk. As I approach the place, my anxiousness begins to grow. How can be brave enough to go through the Games but not a party? My anxiousness guides me to the meadow rather than the party venue and I sit on the grass in the darkness waiting for my mind to calm down before leaving.

I'm not sure how long I sit in the meadow until I see Jesse walking towards me. Shouldn't he be at the party? I've been at the meadow for an hour and I'm pretty sure the party's begun. I pat the spot next to me and Jesse silently sits in that spot.

"Shouldn't you be at the party?" I ask.

"Shouldn't you?" He asks.

"I asked first," I say.

"I don't feel like partying or enjoying myself. Mum died a month ago, and it just doesn't feel right." He says. I place my hand over his.

"I understand Jesse. But wouldn't Lily want you to be happy and enjoy life. Isn't that what would make her happy?"

"I guess you're right," He says. "Now, what about you?"

"I don't know why, but I don't feel like going," I reply.

"Is it because _he's_ there?" He asks, referring to Keeth.

"Maybe. But I just…I'm not ready to face people. I'm not sure what they'll say or if they'll accept me after killing so many people." I admit.

"Don't worry about then, Ash. They shouldn't matter to you or affect what you do." He says.

"I guess you're right," I say.

"Shall we go?" He asks offering his hand. I take it and we go.

Jesse and I walk to the party and as we get near, Amethyst spots us

* * *

. At the sight of us, her face beams and she grins from ear to ear. Maybe this is worth it. Just seeing that smile. I hope I can always make them happy and never let that smile fade. Swiftly, she walks towards us but is stopped dead in her tracks by this boy shouting and running towards the party. The musician stops playing and everyone is silent, listening to the panicked boy.

"Run!" He exclaims. "Peacekeepers!" He shouts. "They're coming." Murmurs fill the silence.

"What? Who told them about the party?" A voice in the crowd asks.

"Ashlyn Mellark."

* * *

 **The question I'm asking all my reviewers is:**

 **What do you think the deal is between Ashlyn and Aquilo?**

 **The person who has the closest answer will get a sneak peak of a major plot point, which I will PM them. Please participate.**

 **Please review or PM response.**

 **Also, there's a bit of foreshadowing in this chapter. Does anyone spot it? If you did, please PM or review your answer.**

 **Please REVIEW!**

 ** _Also Happy New Year, in advance._**


	35. Visitor

**Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own the Hunger Games.**

 **A/N: Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Forgive me for not updating for way more than a week. I feel really bad. Sorry again. I had an amazing week, mainly because I woke up one day and I say that I am up to 197 reviews. That's like 47 more than the last time I checked and I was absolutely speechless. Thank you so much. Shout outs to Hidden-Feeling and everlark for all those reviews. Thank you. Here is Chapter 35. Hope you enjoy and review!**

* * *

 **Visitor**

 _"_ _Run!" He exclaims. "Peacekeepers!" He shouts. "They're coming." Murmurs fills the silence._

 _"_ _What? Who told them about the party?" A voice in the crowd asks._

 _"_ _Ashlyn Mellark."_

I can feel the eyes of everyone present at the party on me, glaring at me in anger and fury. The only thing I can feel at the moment is confusion. I didn't tell the Peacekeepers about the party. I wouldn't betray my friend like that by getting her into trouble with Peacekeepers, especially knowing what would happen to her if the Peacekeepers find everyone out after curfew. I feel like a criminal right now, with everyone looking at me with disgust and shame. After what feels like 2 hours but is actually 20 seconds someone shouts.

"Run!" A voice shouts. Panic strikes the air as the place become chaotic. Everyone drops anything they're holding and begins to run in any direction they can. I stand at the venue staring at the chaos, not caring if Peacekeepers are coming or not. I feel like an outcast. I know that after this no one in the District will want to talk to me or look me in the eye or even acknowledge me. I'm their traitor even though I didn't do anything to them. Suddenly, I feel a hand around my wrist tugging at me. I turn to see Jesse.

"Ash. Run!" He exclaims as he pulls me along with him and we run away from the venue. Jesse runs swiftly and doesn't let go of my wrist so it becomes very difficult for me to keep up with him. As we run, I realise we past the Seam, where Jesse lives. I stop immediately and pull Jesse's arm to tell him to stop too.

"We past your house Jesse." I state as a matter of fact.

"I know. But I need to get you to your house first." He says.

"It'll be too late for you to go by yourself. You can get caught." I say, trying my best to convince him.

"You can't go by yourself either. It's not safe with the people." He says, and I know that he isn't talking about the Peacekeepers.

"I can manage. You know I'm strong." I say.

"Okay, fine." He says. "But go home safely." He says, cupping my left cheek. I let out a painful smile before turning around and making my way home. As I begin to speed walk home, I spot Amethyst walking. At the sight of her, I redirect myself to her rather than the Village.

"Amy!" I shout, just loud enough for her to hear. She turns to look over her shoulder before she turns and looks back around as though she didn't acknowledge me. I work my legs quicker to catch up to her and when I do I grab onto her arm and spin her around.

"Let go of me, Ash!" She shouts. "I don't want to talk to you."

"Why not? I didn't do anything." I say.

"Sure you didn't." She replies sarcastically. "You called Peacekeepers on us, Ash. Do you not understand what could've happened if we were caught? We could've died, Ash."

"I know. But I didn't call the Peacekeepers. Trust me, Amy." I beg.

"I can't trust you anymore, Ash. Not after this." She says.

"A friend wouldn't do that." I reply.

"Just like friends don't like their family." She spits. "Like you killed Lily." That feels like I have been stabbed in the heart numerous times. My best friend is accusing me.

"I didn't kill her. You know what happened. I didn't do it on purpose." I justify.

"Just like you "accidently" called Peacekeepers on my birthday." She say sarcastically.

"I didn't-" I begin but she interrupts me.

"Just-just don't talk to me anymore. I don't want to see your face again."

"Trust your friend." I plead.

"We- we are not friends. And stay away from my family. I don't want her to get into trouble as well." She says as she turns around and walks away. Luckily, in the darkness that was surrounding us, she didn't notice the tears. Stiffly and almost robotically, I walk to the Victors' Village, with a huge feeling of guilt weighing down on my shoulders. For some reason, I walk up the porch of Haymitch's house and end up pounding on his door. After quite a while I hear shuffling and grumbling the door opens and I look up to see Haymitch unstable and wobbling. I barge past Haymitch and enter his house.

"Why're you barging into my house like that?" Haymitch asks.

"I need help." I reply, slumping onto the wooden chair at his dining table, placing my elbows on my table and my head in my hand.

"Here." He says.

"You don't even know what my problem is." I say, as I hear shuffling and clinking and then something being placed on the table. I look up to see his bottle of liquor.

"This can help any problem." He states.

"I'm not going to drink through my problems." I say, resisting the urge to just take one sip to calm my mind. "I'm not like you."

"Ow. That really hurt." He says sarcastically. I roll my eyes. "Suit yourself. But I'd hate to be you with all the grief "He talks while picking up the bottle. He's right. I can't handle myself and the grief without it.

"Fine." I say pushing my chair back as I stand up. I walk up to Haymitch and take the bottle out of his hands. I run my sleeve over the top and take a couple of gulps until I end up choking. It takes a few minutes to compose myself and then also my eyes and nose are still steaming. Inside me it feels like fire. A kind of fire that I like. Or maybe love. My eyes finally begin to register Haymitch's amused form.

"Why does this keep happening to me?" I moan as I stumble toward the doorway of his house.

"What's wrong now, sweetheart?" He asks.

"Everything. It's just everything. People say I did something even though I didn't and apparently I got them into trouble and now no one in the District wants to talk to me. Not even my best friend." I say, sadly but quite quickly. Probably because of the liquor. "No one trusts me. Everyone things that I'm a traitor. But I'm not Uncle Haymitch. I am really not. I'm really not." I say, as my eyes well up. Haymitch comes up to me.

"You need to be strong, sweetheart. Now go home." He tells me and I wipe away the tear that's falling and take a sniffle before stumbling out the door.

As I stagger down the steps of Haymitch's porch, the liquor in the bottle ends up splashing everywhere. I don't get my footing and I end up tripping on the last step. I am about to fall face first until some strong arms grab onto me and hold me up. He gently moves the hair from my face and tucks it behind my ear. I open my eyes gently and they meet Keeth's blue ones.

"Here. I'll help." He whispers. He holds me like that in the middle of the Village until I react.

"Let go of me." I say as I use all the strength left in me to push him back. He doesn't go far, but goes far enough for him to let go.

"I was at the party. I wanted to know if you're okay." He says and then he sees the bottle in my hand.

"I don't need your help." I shout at him. "I don't need your help or sympathy or consolation. I'm fine by myself." I say as I begin to walk but end up stumbling over my feet again. Keeth steps forward to hold me again but I step away.

"Ashlyn. Please. Let me." He begs. I hold my pointing finger to him.

"Don't. Don't come near me." I shout. My mind is diverted when I see the lights at my home turn on. I think my shouting woke them up. "I don't want to see anyone." I say, wiping away another tear and trying to make my way to my house but I trip and fall to the floor. Why did I have to drink so much? Keeth helps me up, much to my dismay.

"I'll just help you to your house, Ashlyn. That's it. Then I'll go. I promise." He says. I hear the door to my home open and hear footsteps and shouting but I ignore it.

"I don't need your help." I shout. From the corner of my eye I see Mum and Dad running towards me. "I'm not weak. I'm strong. I can fight." I yell. "I can fight everything that's happening to me. Everyone hating me. Everyone using me. My best friend's not talking to me, but I'm fine. The whole District hates me, but I'm still strong."

"Ash." My Dad says as he runs towards me but I hold my hand out to stop him. I stumble towards Keeth to get closer.

"The person I thought loved me betrayed me and used me, but I haven't lost heart. I'm not weak like you thought I would be after everything you have done." I spit. _Why am I saying these things, I think to myself_. But I can't stop.

"Ashlyn, no-" He begins, cupping my face in his hands but I swat his hand away from my face.

"Why're you doing this to me? Why are you making me realise that I love you Keeth Ambertson? Yes. I admit it. I am in love with you. I'm in love with your eyes. With your hair. With your smile. With your personality. But I want to hate you. I want to hate you for everything you've done to me. For my broken heart. For my inability to trust. Why do you make it so difficult for me?" I say, poking my pointing finger to his chest, sobbing. "Why?"

I feel my knees beginning to give up on me as they wobble and give up on me. I feel Keeth hold me, securely, and preventing me from falling. I hear the glass bottle shatter on the floor, which seems correct as I probably have lost my grip on everything. Everything else afterwards seems blurry and not understandable. I feel hands underneath the bend of my knees and my hand around someone's neck as my eyes begin to droop and everything turns black.

* * *

My eyes open and I come to my senses accompanied by a pounding headache. Just when my mind registered the fact that I am not in my house or home, I rush to the toilet of the identical house I am in as the white liquor makes a reappearance. It burns just as much as it did while drinking it. Once I am done, I take the hem of my shirt and use it to wipe my mouth. As I exit the toilet my ears catch the melodious piano music being played. It seems louder than usual and that's when I realise I'm in Keeth's house. The music is absolutely enchanting and mesmerising. I've never heard this song before. The beauty of the song pulls me to it as I subconsciously walk down the stairs of his house and stand at the bottom of the stairs look at him, admiring his work. My mind begins formulating words and lyrics. It is something that just flows out of me as I hear the music. Something I don't need to think about. When I believe he is at the end of the song, I cannot help myself and sing the last line that just rolls of my tongue.

 _Lead me out with your voice_

Keeth holds the last key and then turns to see me.

"Those lyrics were beautiful." He says noting them down on a piece of paper.

"The music was beautiful." I compliment. "Did you compose this?" I ask and he nods. "It must've been hard." I say.

"No. All I did was think about you." He says and all of a sudden I feel ashamed or awkward. I'm not sure. A sort of silence falls between us and I twiddle my thumbs and move slightly on the spot. I pressure my mind, trying to figure out what happened after I passed out last night. Why I am in Keeth's house?

"Um. I guess I'll go now." I say as I head towards the door.

"No stay for breakfast." He says, trying to stop me, something I knew he would do that. "I'm a pretty good cook."

"No I'm fine. I'll have breakfast with Mum, Dad and Rye." I say, avoiding the use of the word family, trying my best not to offend or hurt Keeth. He smiles faintly as I leave.

Furiously, I barge into my house to meet with my parents' relieved facial expressions. I guess they were really worried for me.

"Dad. How could you let Keeth take me to his house?" I ask.

"I wasn't going to, but Rye woke up with all the noise and Keeth was insisting." He says, with none of these reasons adding up but I don't push it. "And I trust him."

"Trust." I scoff.

"Ashlyn. Not that again." Dad insists.

"All I want to say is that everything I remember saying to Keeth last night was true." I say.

"I know you'll change your opinion on him someday."

"Someday." I sigh.

* * *

"I'm Ashlyn Mellark." I say, putting my hand forward for him to shake.

"Everyone knows who you are." He says, winking at me, making me feel incredibly uncomfortable. "I'm Marcus." He says as he rejects my offered hand and leans in and places a kiss on my cheek. I stand frozen at this gesture but also because of his name. I mean, Marcus is too normal for a person from the Capitol. In fact his looks are quite surprising too. Golden, blond and wavy hair and bright blue eyes. All natural. And definitely not Capitol. When Aiden called me this morning and told me someone from the Capitol wanted to meet me, I was shocked, especially because there's only a week till the Victory Tour.

"So what brings you to District 12?" I ask, trying to strike a conversation.

"I guess I just wanted to see the famous Victor of the 77th Hunger Games." He say, winking at me again.

"Well, it's certainly a pleasure to be meeting you." I say, trying to be courteous.

"Marcus. Should I show you around the District?" Aiden, fortunately, interrupts.

"No." Marcus says as he stands by my side. I feel him wrap his arm around my waist and pull me toward him. "I'd like Ashlyn to show me around the District." I don't try and fight his grasp around me but it feels really odd. "That is, if she doesn't mind."

"I mean Aiden does have piano lessons with me today, but I guess we can do that another day. That is, if it is alright with you Aiden." I ask.

"Sure. Thursday?" He asks and I nod.

"Shall we?" Marcus asks. I nod and he leads us towards town, his arm never leaving my waist.

* * *

We spend most of the morning and afternoon at the Victors' Village at my house. I've been left pretty shocked by his strange advances towards me, like taking my hand, kissing my hand and my cheek, caressing my cheek and hugs. Something that is strange for two strangers. But I guess that is how people in the Capitol act and I can't argue with him either. Marcus wants to go to town and buy some 'souvenirs' to remind him of District 12. Things that are just souvenirs for him are actually things that people wish and long to have, but supress the desires to survive. I take him to Amethyst's jewellery store first, so that she can earn some money from this Capitol visitor. I push open the door of the store, causing the bell to ring, indicating that a customer has entered. Marcus follows me into the store and shuts the door behind me. No one is at the counter but then Amethyst walks through the back door, with a box in her hand.

"Welcome to the jewellery store. How may I help?" She greets us kindly, as she walks through the door, clearly not spotting us. She carefully places the box and the floor and when she gets up she sees me, causing her inviting smile to turn into a frown. I stand there not saying anything at all as she glares at me coldly. She still hasn't forgiven me, despite it being about 3 weeks since the incident happened. And I've been giving her time and space to figure things out. Something she really needs.

"Show me some rings." Marcus says. Rings? Really? Amethyst nods curtly as she bends down to get out some rings. She produces a tray of about twenty rings for men. Marcus picks one ring out of the tray and brings it close to him so he can examine it.

"No. Not these. Rings for women." He says. Women? Is he going to get engaged?

"Women?" I ask, openly. I mean I am curious.

"Yeah. An expensive gift." He says.

"Can't you get one in the Capitol?" I ask and from the corner of my eye I see Amethyst's eyes widen in shock at the mention of the Capitol.

"But I need to spend some of my money I brought here. Plus, I think the person would like it from here." He's sick. He's just buying this ring because he wants to spend his money. During this conversation, Amethyst manages to pull out some rings for girls. "Help me choose." Marcus tells me, but it seems more like an order.

I scan the tray filled with rings with large diamonds that put me off straight away. Then I spot the perfect ring. A silver band and a tiny diamond on top. Simple and elegant. And simply beautiful. I'm about to tell him my choice when I hear the bell above the door ring again. I turn to see Keeth entering the store. Great. Just what I needed.

He looks at Marcus, who has one hand around my waist, and then at me. I look at him plainly, convincing myself that I don't need to give him any explanation. He walks past Marcus and I to the other side of the counter.

Surprisingly, Marcus ignores Keeth completely. I turn my head back to eh rings and pull out the ring I like and hand it to Marcus. Marcus takes the ring, brings it close to his eye to examine it and then lets out a loud laugh, startling me and probably Amethyst and Keeth too. He has a look of disgust on his face.

"This. This is nowhere near my standard." He says as he throws it back into the tray.

"I liked it but I guess it isn't for the Capitol." I say. Marcus concentrates on the rings and then picks out a huge ring with a thick band, studded with diamonds fully and it ends with a huge diamond in the middle.

"Now this is called rich." Marcus says. How long do I need to spend with him? "Bill this." He orders Amethyst. Once he has paid for the ring we head out of the store, but not before I catch one more look of the simple ring.

We spend the next few days shopping and spending time, and I conclude that this guy is the most irritating. Everywhere we went, I found his arm around me or his lips on my cheek. Finally, on Wednesday he leaves and that is when I take a breath of relief. That is until I realise that the Victory Tour is in a day. On Friday we leave.

* * *

"Try this." I tell Aiden as I play a melody on the piano. As promised, I came to his house on Thursday to give him lessons and he was here waiting. For some reason, I have gotten closer to Aiden through these piano lessons.

"Easy." Aiden says as he flexes his fingers and hovers them over the keys. He begins to play the melody but hits a few wrong notes.

"Yeah. Very easy." I say and he rolls his eyes.

"You moved my hand." He says. Of course he won't admit his mistake. "I need to get my Dad to order another piano bench. I don't want to share with you."

"Well, neither do I." I comment as I turn around on the bench.

"I was joking, Mellark." He says. "Don't take it seriously."

"I was joking too, Langston." I say as I stare at him and we both laugh.

"Excuse me, sir." I hear a meek, female voice call out. Aiden turns around to see his maid.

"Yes."

"There's a call for you." She says.

"I'll be there." He says as he gestures for her to be dismissed. "I guess our time's up for today." He says as he stands up. I stand up too.

"I guess so." I say. "See you tomorrow." I say, knowing he'll be at the train station when I board the train that'll take me to the Districts.

"Bye." He says as he enters a room in the corner. I walk out myself, knowing my way around a lot of his house and I am about to leave, when I realise I left my jacket near the piano. I turn on my heel and grab my jacket. I'm about to leave when I hear Aiden shouting.

"-but Mr President." He shouts. Mr President? Aquilo? What would they be talking about? Especially to Aiden. Curiosity gets the better of me as I silently tiptoe towards the door left ajar. I stand unseen as I place my ear towards the conversation. I guess Aiden is talking to Aquilo's hologram as I can hear both sides of the conversation.

"You need to work quick, Mr Aiden." Aquilo says. "Tomorrow is the Victory Tour. You still haven't broken her."

"It is almost complete Mr President." Aiden says. "She's almost broken. And I'll give her the final blow tomorrow." He says.

"Good." Aquilo says. "Very good."

"The poor soul. Ashlyn Mellark doesn't even know that I've been betraying her the whole time."

* * *

 **How was this chapter? A lot happened, I know. But I want to know what you think. This is why it took a long time to write. Plus I was extremely busy with school. But anyways. Please review.**

 **Also my question still stands. What do you think the deal is between Aquilo and Ashlyn?**

 **Review or PM your response, please.**

 **Please follow, favourite and review this story.**

 **xx**


	36. Revelations

**Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own the Hunger Games.**

 **A/N: Hey guys. I'm so sorry I haven't updated for more than a week, but I have a chapter that is very long (6000 words) and will reveal quite a lot of things. But first, I only got 6 reviews. Please, guys. Please review. They mean a lot. Now. Here's chapter 36. Read, enjoy and REVIEW!**

* * *

 **Revelations**

 _"_ _The poor soul. Ashlyn Mellark doesn't even know that I've been betraying her the whole time." Aiden says._

Aiden's been betraying me. He was someone I was beginning to trust and understand. I thought that we could support each other through everything. But, clearly, I was wrong. Aiden isn't any less of a betrayer than Mason, but at least, Mason realised his mistake and admitted. Here, I don't see any sign of it. Everything, somehow, makes sense. For example, the sudden wish to learn to play the piano and only learn from me. It was so that he could earn my trust so that it would be harder for me to cope with, once I find out his truth.

"But, make sure she is emotionally distressed by the time she gets to the Capitol. I want her to agree to my deal straightaway. Not that she would dare to refuse me." Aquilo says. Aiden knows about the deal. My hands begin to fidget with the jacket in my hand as I hear the news. My heart begins to ache and there is a strange feeling in my stomach too. My mind tells me to stay and listen to everything they're saying, but my heart's warning me not to hear anymore or I won't be able to handle myself. I turn on my heel and run out of the Mayor's house.

As I wear my jacket, I jog to the fence and slip through. My mind is distressed, as it keeps replaying the conversation I just heard, so I decide to go through to the only place in the country that can make me feel at peace at the moment. I begin to run aimlessly, in the woods, in sadness and grief. Why does everyone find happiness in seeing me distressed? Am I really that bad? Do people love causing me grief? Those are the kind of questions looming in my mind. My mind wanders back to the deal between Aquilo and me. I wonder what a deal that involves me to be emotionally distressed would be. Maybe it's what I'm thinking. Maybe Aquilo would sell me. Maybe I'll be like Finnick Odair. Maybe Aquilo wants me to feel so hopeless and lonely, that I'll agree. But haven't I already agreed, especially after those deaths and threats. Maybe he thinks I'll refuse, or that I don't care about my family, or he's scared that I may do something against him.

My legs, finally, give in as I begin to slow down and then stop running and collapse onto the ground near to the lake, not caring about the snow on the ground. I draw my knees to my chest and begin to sob, inevitably. Why did I trust him? I told myself that I wouldn't trust anyone, but I did anyway. Why do I never learn? I keep making the same mistakes, as though the events in the past never happened. I am stupid. Stupid to believe that I can make friends. Or that people actually want to be friends with me and support me. I was wrong. I am always wrong. I am wrong about everyone. Mason, Keeth and now Aiden. They have all misused my trust

The lights of the day, gradually, become darker and darker, until it goes black and the glistening stars are visible. I know I need to go home, especially because the Victory Tour's tomorrow, but I don't want to. I feel better here, all by myself. Stiffly, I stare into the darkness of the night, with only the animal sounds keeping me company. This reminds me of the arena at night, with the silence. Except then, I was looking out for enemies, but after thinking about it, the situation isn't really different.

My thoughts are interrupted by a twig snapping near me. Instantly and instinctively, my heard turns towards the sound, to see, not an animal, but a shoe. My eyes, slowly move upwards to see the face of Keeth Ambertson.

"What're you doing here?" I ask. "Wait. Are you following me?"

"No. Of course not." He says, innocently. "I'm here for the lake," He says as he walks past me and sits on a rock and stares out at the calm, water, reflecting the night sky. Keeth's presence makes me want to sit next to him, and despite trying to resist the urge, I get up and take a seat next to me. As I admire the glimmering stars, being reflected by the water, I sense Keeth looking at me, which makes me doubt the real reason why he's here.

"Tell me the truth," I say. "Why're you here?" I ask.

"To look for you."

"Why? I'm not a little child. I can handle myself."

"I know you can, but you told your parents you'd be back at home for dinner. But you didn't turn up. They called Aiden but he said you left a long time ago and then your parents came to me. I told them you were at Jesse's house, so they weren't worried about you." He says and at the mention of Aiden's name, my heart and stomach ache. "Are you okay?" He asks as he places a hand on my shoulder.

"Y-yeah. I'm okay." I say.

"You're a horrible liar."

"Is that a compliment?" I ask.

"No. You're lying. Something's wrong." Keeth says. "Please tell me. I may be able to help."

"Nothing's wrong, Keeth," I conclude.

"Don't tell me. I understand. But remember, I've been through the same thing you have. I understand you the most. I may be able to help." Keeth says as he gets up and walks away, towards the fence. He's right. Keeth is one of the only people that can understand me and my situation and my feelings.

"Keeth," I shout, trying to stop him. "Wait." Keeth stops instantly as if he were expecting me to stop him. I stand up as Keeth turns around to face me.

At the sight of Keeth all my emotions are let loose, as, despite my resistance, I take off towards Keeth and wrap my arms around him. I lay my head on his chest and sob profusely. Keeth, still at first, slowly wraps his arms around me and places his hands on my back and rubs gently. He slowly, moves his hands to my hair and gently runs his hands through my hair to calm me down. I have missed his warmth and safety of his arms so much. After a while, I let go of Keeth and wipe my own tears as I sniffle. Keeth places his hands on my shoulders, consolingly.

"You're right Keeth," I admit. "Everything's wrong. Everything's wrong." I repeat. After a long pause, I continue. "Am I really that bad, Keeth? Does everyone hate me?"

"No. You're not. No one hates you. No one could possibly-"Keeth begins but I cut him off.

"Why does everyone like to see me in grief and sadness?" I sob. "Why does everyone betray me?" Keeth furrows his brow in confusion. "Aiden. He is with the Capitol."

"No. He's with us." Keeth says but I shake my head.

"He's with Aquilo," I conclude. Keeth takes a couple of steps back and rubs his temple in stress. He then runs his hand through his brown hair and lets out a loud sigh. "He was never my friend. He wanted to break me." I say. "Emotionally."

"What would he gain doing this to do?" Keeth asks quietly as if he were asking the question to himself.

"Nothing. But Aquilo told him to do this so I am emotionally distressed enough to accept his stupid deal." I say, unknowingly revealing the deal. I bite my tongue immediately, cursing myself for saying this. Instantly, I turn on my heel, to avoid meeting face to face with Keeth.

"Deal?" Keeth asks. "What deal is this?" I don't reply. I don't want Keeth to be burdened with the knowledge of this deal. I know how it feels to be, constantly, worried over the same thought and I don't want Keeth to go through the same. I try to walk towards the river but Keeth's hand firmly captures my wrist pulls me to him.

"Why should I tell you?" I ask, trying to give an excuse for not telling him the truth, and right now this is the only way. I attempt to wriggle my wrist out of his firm grasp, but it's futile.

"We've been through too much, Ashlyn. Too much. We need to stop pretending that we don't care for each other. That we don't worry for each other." He says and I shake my head. "I know I care for you. A lot, in fact. And I also know you care for me-"

"I don't care for you." I interrupt, lying right at his face. I do care for him, even though I can't admit it.

"You're a horrible liar," He comments, repeating the one he made some time ago.

"I am not lying," I say, not able to meet his blue eyes as I do.

"Then why did you try to save me when I was going to the orphanage? Why did you never leave my side when I was injured? Why did you agree to take me to the orphanage when I asked? Does this not show that you care?" He says. He's right. He's absolutely right. I just look away from him in defeat. "I knew you would have nothing to say," He says. I am practically an open book. "We can't give up on each other, Ashlyn. We need to support each other. We need to trust each other. Can you give me a chance? Can you give our friendship another try?"

As much as I hate to admit, he's right. I do need him. I've always needed him because right now I feel alone.

"I know you trust me enough to be your friend again. The way we were before."

"The way we were before," I conclude as I smile happily and Keeth does too.

"You don't have to tell me about this deal. I understand." He says.

"Thanks."

"From what I've heard, I can tell one thing. Aquilo's goal is not to break the Mockingjay anymore. It is to break you."

* * *

Three or so hours after the sun has risen, Keeth and I slip through the fence undetected and head home. When we get into the Victors Village, Keeth stops me.

"You need to tell someone, if not me."

"I can't put anyone in trouble," I tell him.

"At least try," He says before heading to his house.

At least try.

I walk into my home and Mum informs me that she has kept my bath running. Although I prefer showers, I agree to my Mum, despite the fact that baths are too much of luxury for me. I go upstairs into the bathroom to see a steaming tub await. I lower myself into the tub, which is when I realise Mum has poured some oils in too. I think Justice told her to because knowing my mother she never really cares about all these luxuries.

Keeth's words – 'at least try' – is the thing that is occupying my mind. The question is who I tell. Definitely, not Mum or Dad. They've been through too much to takes all this stress on their shoulders. I just cannot do this to them.

Definitely not Rye. I can't pressure him with information he isn't supposed to know. There's Justice, who is practically family, especially after we found out who he is related to. That information brought him even closer. I think Mum shares a special Bond with him due to Cinna and the fact that she feels that Cinna's death is on her and probably her wanting to make it up to him. But whenever I think about sharing information with Justice, Cinna comes to mind. What if Justice dies too? No. I couldn't possibly do that to him.

Effie is out of the question, for sure. That leaves my Uncle, who convinced me to drink liquor just under a month ago. When I put it like that, Uncle Haymitch seems hopeless. But he really isn't. I mean he is my mentor. He protected me in the Games and hopefully will do in the future. However, it isn't fair on my behalf to save my parents from this burden and worry and exempt Haymitch from this and expect him to be able to carry all this stress. Haymitch has been through a lot too and probably more than Mum and Dad, considering his years of mentoring and watching children die.

Except for Keeth and Jesse, no one else can know about this deal.

When the water starts to become cold, I get out of the tub and towel off. I see a robe left in the bathroom and I put it on and leave the bathroom. I enter my bedroom and am shocked to see my prep team scatter all their equipment on my bed and desk. I must've been very deep in my thoughts to not have heard the cars honking or doors being slammed or loud bickering. I purposely let out a loud cough and the three of them turn around, almost too dramatically, plastering a large grin on their faces at the sight of me. The three scurry towards me and squeeze me, in the name of a hug. When I finally convince them to let go of me they run off to get their supplies ready. Looking at their energy and enthusiasm, I'm surprised that they didn't just barge into the bathroom.

I feel a pair of hands on my shoulders and I turn my head slightly to know that it was Mum. She brings her head to my ear and whispers, "If I didn't stop them, they would've barged into the bathroom."

"Thanks," I say as I pat my Mum's hand.

I sit on the chair Veridie put out for me and they begin their work. Fabius begins working on my hair while praising my attempts to keep my hair silky and smooth. Aetius begins waxing my arms and then my legs, complaining that I didn't do it myself between the Games and the Victory Tour. I am not stupid enough to inflict pain on myself. I simply nod or murmur quiet apologies to them and then continue to stare into space, trying my best to block out all their bickering. I hear a couple of screams and screeches at the sight of my nails or my eyebrows, but I simply roll my eyes.

"You won't believe how many people are waiting for your arrival in the Capitol," Veridie says.

"Your Games was an absolute success," Fabius says.

"Thanks," I say, neutrally.

"Your parents better be ready for the attention. Their first year of mentoring and they brought home both their tributes."

"Haven't they always been in the spotlight?" I say.

"Yes. But this is something special." Aetius squeals.

* * *

In the next hour, I am all prepped. My face is up to standards. My make-up perfectly applied. It is very subtle make-up, nothing too provocative or anything that would stand out. The only thing that stands out is my light pink make-up. My hair is braided in its usual style, probably on the order of Haymitch to raise hope and reinforce the fact that the Mockingjay still has its fire.

Once all the initial work is done, I head downstairs to Justice. The sight of him fills me with happiness. The same Justice. The same look. The same inviting smile. Making me feel comfortable in a world like this. I haven't actually talked to him on the phone. In fact, the phone has no use in this house. I sometimes call Aidem to confirm piano lessons, but that won't happen anymore. I don't think I'll ever talk to Aiden again. Maybe, only the time when we meet at the shed for the rebellion. The rebellion. It's just then I realise that Aiden has confidential information that could've been told to Aquilo. He might've been supplying him with information the whole time. I need to tell Haymitch.

Justice welcomes me with a hug.

"How have you been?" Justice asks.

"Holding up." I sigh. "Just barely."

"Here," He says, handing me a pile of clothes. "Put these on."

I come back into the living room with warm, black and tight-fitting pants, a black and white striped, sleeveless dress and a navy blue, thick, woollen jumper that goes up till my neck, which means I don't need to wear a scarf. Along with that, Justice gave me black laced boots with a heel. Altogether my look is stylish and is far from the fire and water themes I had before the Games and just after it too. He hands me leather gloves and earmuffs as an alternative to a woollen hat that would mess my hair up and ruin the look.

On the side, I see Rye being interviewed. He has a smile plastered on his face for the cameras and looks sweet, but I know the smile is fake. He has done this to me before when he wants something like chocolate. But I never knew he could fool all of Panem. That's my brother. Or should I say, Peeta's son. He is just like Dad. I mean I am too, but not as much as Rye. Although, I can tell when Rye is faking or lying, but I doubt anyone else can.

"Get ready everyone. We're going to do the outdoor shot." Effie claps. I roll my eyes. Great. The start of two weeks of torture. "Ashlyn. At least try to seem interested." I plaster a huge grin in response and when Effie is satisfied she begins to shove me towards the door.

"Effie," Haymitch calls out. "I think one of the cameramen broke their camera." Effie sighs and begins ranting about irresponsibility and trails off. Haymitch walks in front of me and has something cupped in his hand. It's the pin. The Mockingjay pin. How could I forget my source of strength? "You forgot this," He says as he pins it onto my navy blue jumper. The gold clearly stands out from the blue. Anyone with eyes would be able to notice this. Haymitch then does something that shocks me. He hugs me. As he does, he begins to whisper, which explains the sudden show of care.

"Remember. United. That's the message." He whispers and then let's go of me and walks away. United? But, I can't. 'But not _too_ close, or you never know what might occur.' That's what he said. He warned me. No. He threatened me. Threatened me to stay away from Keeth. To maintain a distance. What do I do now?

Effie comes back and then opens the door for me. Before I could even think about what I could do I am outside. At that moment nothing could be seen due to the snow falling, but as I begin to focus I begin to make out Keeth's face on the opposite side. A smile creeps onto my face at the sight of him and we both begin to walk towards the middle, in front of the camera. When we meet we embrace for a moment and then we turn to face the camera. I take Keeth's hand in mine and raise them in the air. I take my free hand and wave at the camera and Keeth does the same. United. That's what we are.

* * *

The rest of the day flies by. There's a lot of hustle and chaos to get to the train station where many known faces could be seen. I greet Jesse and his father and other friends. I search the crowd but I can't find Amethyst anywhere. Is she still upset? If only she was here. As Keeth and I walk towards the train I notice a face. A face I don't want to see after yesterday. Aiden. He has a smile on his face and offers his hand to shake. I turn and just stare at him coldly. It takes every ounce not to slap him or punch him in front of the cameras. Keeth holds my hand and squeezes it lightly to urge me to move on. I wish I never see his face again, I conclude.

I bid an emotional goodbye to Rye and then board the train with the team: Mum; Dad; Haymitch; Effie; Justice; Tatiana; Keeth and I. I decide to skip the meal, but Mum and Dad force me to eat. Dinner is silent, not that I mind because I'm not in the mood to talk anyway.

Soon I'm in my compartment, the same one I was in on the way to the Capitol, dressed in my sleepwear trying to sleep. But sleep doesn't come. I don't think it will ever come on this trip. I slip out of bed and tread quietly into the dining room. I thought I would be alone but when I get there I spot Haymitch with a bottle of liquor.

"Couldn't sleep, Uncle Haymitch?" I ask as I take a seat at the table.

"I don't like to sleep when its dark," He says. I remember when he used to say this when I was little and he never refused to recite stories, no matter what the time. At that point, I didn't understand what he meant. When I learnt about the Hunger Games, I realised why Haymitch never sleeps when it's dark. But now, I understand what Haymitch means. About the nightmares. About the Games. "Here," Haymitch says, offering his drink to me.

"No way. Not after the scene, I created the other day." I say, cringing at the thought.

"I can't believe I missed that." Haymitch laughs and I roll my eyes. I think I've done that a bit too much already.

"Uncle. I don't know what to do."

"About what, sweetheart?" Haymitch asks.

"About everything. You told me that Keeth and I should just act as friends. But Aquilo warned me to stay away from Keeth." I say, remembering Aquilo warning me a couple of months ago.

"Listen to me," He says, as his face turns sober. "When did Aquilo talk to you?" He asks.

"A couple months ago," I say, truthfully.

"Then why didn't you tell me? I'm your mentor. It's my duty to protect you." He shouts. "You need to be friends with Keeth. We need to send the message across and the Victory Tour is the only way." After a long pause he continues, "Will you be able to do that?"

"I decided to give Keeth a chance. I think I'll be able to do that." I inform, trying my best to be positive.

"No. Will you be able to act as just friends?" He asks, smirking and taking another swig of liquor. "Especially after tomorrow," He says before pushing his chair back and standing up.

"What does that mean?" I ask.

"We'll see," He says, looking over his shoulder and taking another swig from his bottle. Why does Haymitch never tell me anything directly?

Sleep never comes. Nightmares, flashbacks, memories and Haymitch's words revolve in my mind, preventing any sleep. Besides, just moments after the sun begins to rise Effie begins to knock violently on my door. I groan, inwardly, and open the door to be surprised with a prep session. My prep team scurry into the room, get all their supplies ready and send me for a shower. I come out, hair washed, with a robe on. I am lathered with several creams and lotions before being sent into the shower several more times. Once everything has been done, Justice comes in and hands me a maroon dress, that ends just below my knees, with darker red floral patterns. My hair is braided as expected and my make-up also matches my dress.

Before the train comes to a final halt, Justice secures my Mockingjay pin and makes sure it's visible. As expected, there's no one to welcome us, just like during my parents' Victory Tour. I've never actually been to District 11, but I've learnt that District 11 was always the poorest District even after the Rebellion. They still only relied on agriculture and there were still many people in this District. Much more that District 12. 12 was always the smallest District so I guess after the Rebellion people didn't move back to 12. And people who were from District 12 in the first place took the opportunity to move away to other Districts, like Gale Hawthorne.

We are guided to a car by a squad of Peacekeepers and leads us to the Justice Building. We're literally pushed inside the Justice Building. Microphones are clipped on us and the anthem begins to play. Effie hastily hands use cue cards to read off. I skim through the writing and seriously doubt if I can lie to that extent. I look at Keeth and looks at me with the same expression. As my mind begins to raise doubt about whether I will be able to deliver this speech, Haymitch jumps up in front of us and snatches the cue cards from our hands and mouths the words 'united'. Keeth takes my left hand as the Mayor introduces us. The Mayor! Meadow and Mink's dad. No. No. No. I can't look him in the eye. My hand begins to shake.

"Are you okay?" Keeth asks.

"Meadow and Mink's dad. The Mayor." I say, quickly as the doors of the Justice Building open. Keeth squeezes my hand in response.

"Ashlyn. Don't forget to smile." Effie calls out behind us.

We are greeted with a loud applause, but I doubt it is due to enthusiasm but due to the number of people in the crowd. We walk across the verandah and stand at the top of a big flight of marble steps. I notice that there are large screens built onto buildings, probably for people who are far away from the screen or harvesting. Right now, Keeth and I are the ones dominating the screens.

There are special platforms at the bottom of the stage, where the family stands in front of an enlarged image of the dead tribute. On my right is Durian's family. A short lady and man, who have their arms around each other's waists and tears in their eyes stand there, along with a short and charming young boy, who reminds me of Rye. Probably Durian's brother. I hesitate as my eyes move along horizontally to Meadow's platform. Empty. Lonely. No one's there. Her Mum is in District 10 and her father is standing right next to me, as Mayor. I wonder why he is still Mayor, considering that our Mayor has been changed. Maybe it's because he agreed to Aquilo's reign and agreed to be the Mayor under his rule, or because Aquilo wants him to suffer throughout life, without his two daughters and his wife far away. Meadow did not mention any siblings.

The Mayor begins his speech in our honour and multiple times during the speech he turns to look at his and gives us a grateful smile or nod. In return I give him a slight nod too, but nothing too drastic for the cameras or the audience to pick up. Once that has been complete, two girls walk up with a bouquet of flowers each. I take them with an appreciative smile and then Keeth steps up to the microphone to begin his speech. Keeth's speech mainly contains thanks to District 11 and that it was a great honour to represent District 12 in the Games. In no time, it's my turn to speak. Nervously, I step up towards the microphone and brace myself before speaking. Remember. Unity.

"I would like to thank the tributes of District 11," I say, looking at the family of Durian. "Durian." I say and then sigh. "He supported me a lot during the Games. We barely spoke to each other, but we were able to comfort each other through our silence. He was strong and powerful, but he had a soft side, especially toward Meadow. I saw a loving big brother in him and I will always remember him for that." Durian's parents look at me with damp eyes and grateful, faint smiles. I nod slightly in respect.

"And then there was Meadow. Meadow will never leave my heart. Her smile. Her words. Her spirit. Her positivity. They were just a few things that helped me through those Games. I wouldn't have been able to win without her." I say, trying my best not to cry but my eyes to well up. I turn to look at the Mayor as he wipes a tear and mouths the word 'thank you'. "I wouldn't have been able to win without your children. Durian. Meadow." I say and then after a long pause I continue, "And Mink." I add, causing many people to murmur amongst themselves. "We were an alliance. We were together. And we were stronger together. No. We are still together. We are still strong." I say, taking Keeth's hand in mine. "We are united." Keeth's hand and mine shoot up together. I take a deep breath of relief.

"You're a liar!" Someone exclaims in the crowd, catching me off guard. Our hands sink down to rest beside us as we witness the unrest in the crowd.

"You're lying!" A woman shouts.

"Stop pretending!" Another woman yells.

"You betrayers."

"You're not united."

"Don't give us false hope."

I grip Keeth's hand tightly as I witness everyone shouting against us. No. This isn't what was meant to happen. They were supposed to be with us. The shouting continues until a loud crackle of electricity causes everybody to go silent. The crackle sources from the screens that originally displayed our faces but now shows footage from the Games. On the screen is Keeth standing in front of Chase and Amelia. They're at the Cornucopia, Keeth standing extremely close to Chase, Keeth looking as though he were threatening Chase. The volume increases and I can finally hear what he is saying.

"I wouldn't threaten me if I were you." Chase spits at Keeth. "Not if your girlfriend is at cost." Keeth instantly steps back, away from Chase.

"What do you mean?" Keeth asks, concern clearly written on his face. "What have you done with Ashlyn?"

"Nothing." Chase says and Keeth sighs. "Yet."

"You're lying," Keeth says.

"I don't think so." Chase comments holding up the walkie talkie. "One wrong step and I will just ask Mason to kill her."

"Mason?" Keeth asks, astonished.

"Yeah. He's a Career." Chase says. "Did you seriously think a Career would join you?" He laughs. Peacekeeper storm the stage and begin urging us to go through to the Justice Building, but Keeth and I stand strong, preventing the force pushing us back. I need to watch this. This is the truth.

"If you want to save her life, you need to let go of her," Chase says.

"What do you mean?" Keeth asks.

"You need to admit that you don't love her," Chase says.

"I can't," Keeth says, clearly struggling to understand what to do.

"Then you can say goodbye to Ashlyn Mellark."

"No," He exclaims. "I'll do it."

Keeth was right. He was always right. He didn't mean it. He wasn't lying. I don't dare look at Keeth in shame and also because my eyes don't leave the screen.

The footage changes to the part of the Games where Mason and I were in the cave. On the screen is Mason leaning into me for a kiss. From the current angle, it seems like Mason is kissing me but all of a sudden the angle changes to the side and I am shown to be stopping Mason from kissing me and turning away. Keeth squeezes my hand gently.

This was done for us. So that we reunite. So we can lead the rebellion. I look at the crowd of 11 who have now turned to look at us. One person whistles the four-note Mockingjay tune. My ears try and locate the person until I realise it isn't from in front of us. It isn't from the crowd. It's from the Mayor. He places the three middle fingers of his left hand to his lips and then out in front of him. The others follow him and soon the whole District has the same gesture. In response Keeth and I do the same.

Suddenly, gun shots could be heard and the Peacekeepers are pushing us into the Justice Building. Keeth and I both try to get one more look of the crowd. Shouting could be heard and just before the doors of the Justice Building I see something I wish I didn't.

A pair of Peacekeepers drag the Meadow's father, the Mayor, to the centre of the stage and fires a bullet into his head. Only one thing goes through my head. Only one thing I want to say.

I'm sorry Mink and Meadow. I'm sorry…

* * *

 **I really hope you liked this chapter. I know a lot happened in this chapter, but I just had to write all this. I wanted to reunite Keeth and Ashlyn. I hope that's what you wanted.**

 **The question is still valid.**

 **What do you think the deal is between President Aquilo and Ashlyn?**

 **Review or PM your response. Unfortunately, not many people have responded so I decided to give you a clue. There's a hint in the previous chapter. Good luck because I am going to reveal the deal in the next chapter. Hurry up.**

 **Please follow/favourite and REVIEW!**


	37. Letters

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, although I wish I did, but I cannot be the genius. There can only be one.**

 **A/N: Long time, no see guys. All my fault, I admit. I'm so sorry. I had coursework and then I fell ill on the weekend and it was just a very stressful two weeks. I'm so sorry. But to atone for my mistake, I produced an 8,000-word chapter. Just for you. So please read, enjoy and REVIEW!**

* * *

 **Letters**

I'm sorry Mink and Meadow. I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I'm sorry I couldn't save your father. Slowly, I place my shivering hand on the door. I wish I could've saved you. A couple more shots are fired, which startle me as I take a few steps back from the door. Was that Durian's family? His parents? His brother?

A hand grabbing my wrist, firmly, pulls me out of my thoughts. Haymitch grabs my hand and pulls me along with Keeth.

"Uncle. What? What's-"

"Don't say anything. Just come with me." He says seriously, as he speaks over his shoulder. His face is sober and he looks at me with hard eyes. This is his way of conveying the fact that one should not question him at the moment. We ascend a curved marble staircase and at the top there is a long hall. We walk through the double doors, into a room with a very high ceiling. Mum and Dad told me that this would be the room prepared for us. But they also told us that there is a dome of the Justice Building. Haymitch instructs us to yank the microphones pinned onto our clothes and then he leads us up some twisted staircases and narrow halls and then opens a trapdoor, which leads to the dome. The exact place my parents talked after their speech in 11. This history lives on.

The place seems neater than described. The furniture isn't broken and the books are arranged well. There are some cracks in the wall, and lighting is also an issue. Haymitch shuts the trapdoor and walks to us.

"I tried my best, Uncle. I really did. I didn't expect the people of 11 to react like that." I honestly reply. "I didn't expect them to help us so much."

"Whatever happened out there was not done by District 11." Haymitch tells us. "It was District 13."

"What?" Keeth says, reacting first. "It can't be."

"13 took over the screens and broadcast those scenes from the Games."

"But why?" I ask.

"Because of the rebellion." Haymitch says. "Because people began losing hope in you and the image of unity, so 13 had to step up and reveal whatever happened."

"And the Mayor got blamed for it." I say, regretfully.

"But, Ash. It would be better than Aquilo discovering 13's involvement." Haymitch says. I don't answer that. Haymitch is right, but I hate to admit it. I hate to justify the death of the Mayor.

As I walk up to the window, which overlooks the District square I say, "At least I found out the truth." I watch the Peacekeepers, mercilessly, drag the body of the Mayor, leaving a line of blood marking the pathway. "If only it was sooner." I admit. If only I found this clip. If only it was shown. Maybe things would've been different. Maybe, Keeth and I would've been living differently. Maybe I wouldn't have felt so lonely. Maybe lives would've been saved. I stare at the pool of crimson red, reminding me that this death is partly my fault. Just like hurting Keeth is my fault. At the thought of Keeth I turn to face Keeth.

"Keeth." I call out. Just at that moment when the trapdoor opens again and Mum and Dad walk through. But that doesn't stop me from speaking. "Keeth." I call out again. He turns to look at me. "I'm sorry."

"I don't want to talk about this, Ashlyn." Keeth says.

"I'm really sorry, Keeth. Please forgive me." I say, hoping that he believes my apology is actually genuine.

"Please leave me alone, Ashlyn." Keeth says, slightly harshly. "Just like I've been for most of my life." His taunt really does prick me. It just reminds me of my promise I made to him before the Games when I said that he would never be alone after the Games.

"Don't say that, Keeth. You're not alone." I say.

"Not that again, Ashlyn. Please don't give me false hopes."

"I'm sorry, Keeth. I really am sorry." I say. "I know I doubted you, but that was before I saw the evidence."

"That's the issue, Ashlyn. You believed me after you got the evidence. You never had any faith in me. You never trusted me." He says.

"I did. Yesterday. I agreed to give you a chance." I say.

"That's not trust, Ashlyn. But I was a fool to think that you realised that I would never betray you. I thought, yesterday, in the woods, you trusted me. But I was wrong. All you wanted was my support. That's why you decided to give me a chance. You're just selfish." He spits as he takes a step closer to me. Dad instantly rushes to my side and wraps his arms around my shoulders, protecting me as he always has. "I wouldn't have been mad at you if you realised that I, the one you love, would never betray you, even after ten years. But this really hurts, Ashlyn." Keeth stares at me, coldly, for some time and then walks past me, through the trapdoor. Dad begins to storm towards the trapdoor to follow Keeth, but I grab his arm before he can get anywhere. I shake my head slowly.

"He has no right to say those things." Dad shouts, fuming. He rarely gets angry, but whenever he does it is usually towards anyone who has hurt his daughter. Mum deals with anything to do with Rye.

"No. Dad. He's right." I admit. "I can't expect him to forgive me after whatever I've done to him." I need to give him time. "I'll talk to him later."

"It wasn't your fault, sweetheart. Aquilo purposely cut the parts of the footage during the Games so that you and Keeth stay apart. It was to break you." Haymitch says.

"And I acted just the way he wanted." I say. "It is my fault. I can't deny it." I say walking out.

The preparation for dinner has taken up a lot of my day and a lot of my time, leaving no room to think about Keeth and about his words. I'm finally ready, with a long red dress, brushing the floor. Black heels and a black hairband with a flower on top. My hair is let out but is curled in ringlets.

We assemble to go to dinner, with a certain order of entrance. Of course Keeth and I are last just after Haymitch, giving a grand and more important entry. Waiting for our cue to walk down the steps seems like it is taking longer than it should do, even though it is meant to only be fifteen seconds. As soon as I have counted 15 seconds, I urge Keeth to walk along with me. Keeth takes my hand lightly, just as courtesy as I am wearing heels and he needs to support me. I put on a bright smile as we are greeted by cheers. The rest of the dinner is a blur, with an abundance of food, which I barely eat, and many greetings from the officials. There are no Victors in 11 however, there are the mentors of the District 11 tributes that were randomly selected by Aquilo. Surprisingly, there is a quick replacement of the Mayor. I believe that the Mayor was probably going to be replaced anyway or they were expecting for this Mayor to act like the way they thought he did today. Whenever the new Mayor spoke, my mind recalled the shooting of Mink and Meadow's father. The blood. The agony. Besides, there was really nothing for my mind to concentrate on during the dinner. No one spoke. At least not many people. I remained quiet, unless any direct questions were asked and even if they were my responses would always only be one word or two words. Due to this the dinner seems excruciatingly long, but nothing eventful actually happens.

Soon enough, we're boarding the train to get to the next District. As soon as the doors of the train close, we all disperse. As I'm about to walk away my mind recollect the conversation I had with Haymitch yesterday. I remember him saying that I won't be able to stay as just friends with him 'especially after tomorrow'. He knew. Patiently, I wait for everyone to leave and then I talk to Haymitch.

"What do you want, sweetheart?" He asks.

"You knew didn't you?"

"I know a lot of things. Be specific, sweetheart." Haymitch says as he smirks.

"About the footage. You knew what was going to happen in 11."

"I got a message from 13 in District 12."

"But why didn't you tell me?" I question.

"Would you have believed me?" He asks. He's right. Of course he's right. I wouldn't have believed him. In fact, I probably would've shouted at him about that.

"No." I admit. "You're right." I say as I walk off, my mind feeling dejected and upset. I shower, just so that I can get rid of all the make-up that has been applied to me. I change into a white and pink silk top and shorts. Although, I do not prefer the silk, I wear it anyways as it's the first thing I find.

After some time, I manage to get some sleep, however it is haunted by the shooting of the Mayor, who immediately transforms into Rye, lying dead and lifeless on the ground. I wake up with a scream, only to see that it is still night, nowhere near the time for the sun to rise. Defeated, I hop out of bed and head for the last car of the train, where you are usually able to look out onto the tracks and the scenery. However, at the moment there is only darkness except for a ray of light shining into the car from the moon. I perch myself on the seats and stare out into the darkness, my mind focusing on the darkness in my life. I've lost most of my loved ones. Aiden, Amethyst, most of District 12 and now Keeth. But I guess all of this is my fault. For some is my ability to trust people and others my inability to trust. For some it is just pure bad luck or some sort of conspiracy. But whatever it is, the outcome is the same: loneliness. I need to truly accept the fact that I am all alone. Only my family left around me. The Games have snatched everything away from me. My friends, my loved ones, my support. I have barely anything. Barely anything. I sniffle and wipe away the tears rolling down my cheek.

"Tears don't suit you." I hear a voice say, who I know is Keeth. Consciously, I wipe away my tears and face him with a fake smile on my face. "Neither does this fake smile." Instantly, the smile fades away. I stare back out into the darkness. I hear shuffling and soon Keeth has perched himself next to me. "Haymitch told me to apologise."

"But you don't want to." I say. "It's alright. I understand."

"No. I do. I just don't know what happened." He says. "I just spoke those words out of anger."

"I've never seen you so angry since-" I begin.

"Since, the day after the Games, when I accused you of kissing Mason." He says, as a moment of realisation. "I guess we're both equal."

"No, Keeth. We aren't equal. What I did to you was much worse than the one occasion." I tell him.

"No, Ashlyn. I regret every word I said. I just feel so bad that-" He begins but I cut him off.

"Let's just forget all this ever happened, Keeth." I suggest.

"But-"

"Please, Keeth." I beg. "We've been torn apart for too long and I don't want to spend any more time apart."

"We've never had the chance to be together." He states.

"There was always something that was tearing us apart." I say, thinking about the Games and then Aquilo's attempt to separate us.

"Not anymore." Keeth says, taking my hand into his. "As long as we trust each other." That's the one thing I haven't shown in him. But, I won't repeat the same mistake again. And to do that I need to show faith in him. So I tell him about the deal between Aquilo and I. I tell him everything. About the conversation, the threats, the deaths and the fact that I agreed.

"It must be something big." I say. "Which is why he isn't disclosing any details."

"Or he's scared that you'll do something in order to stop his plans." Keeth says. "He wants to surprise you, so that you don't have enough time to react."

"I'm just worried about what the deal could be." I say. "What if I have to go away from my family? Or be like Finnick Odair?"

"I won't allow anyone to come near you." Keeth says, slightly overprotectively. "If they dare touch you-" He begins, showing his aggressive side, but I cut him off by resting my head on his shoulder and Keeth responds by wrapping his arm around me.

"You know?" I say.

"Hm."

"I never stopped loving you." I admit.

"I know." Keeth says. "And that was my hope that you will come back to me."

"You always had faith in me?" I ask.

"Always." Keeth says. After a long pause he continues, "I will always be by your side."

"That is if Dad lets you go out alive." I laugh.

"What do you mean?" Keeth asks, seeming very confused.

"Dad was furious after all those things you said to me." I say. "In fact he was about to follow you after you left, but I managed to stop him."

"I think I'll be able to defeat your Dad." Keeth says.

"Don't you dare." I say. "Don't you dare hurt my Dad." I warn. "Besides Dad is very strong. Don't underestimate him."

"I'd never. Besides Mr Mellark never gets angry."

"He's very calm. But he is protective about me." I say.

"You're lucky." Keeth says. "That you have such a loving family." I can sense the sadness in his voice and instantly I console him.

"You have me Keeth." I say. "And I promise that I will never leave you."

"I never doubted it." A silence falls between us as I stare out into the darkness, my head still resting on Keeth's shoulder. As his protective arms hold onto me tighter, I begin to receive the ability to sleep peacefully, something that never existed. My eyes shut and I fall into a deep slumber.

The next day I wake up to loud coughing. My eyes encounter the bright sunlight as I squint to try and get used to the change. When I begin to focus, I notice Mum. Dad and Haymitch standing in front of us. I realise that we haven't moved an inch in our slumber. I sit up straight. Keeth, who is still sleeping deeply, is woken up by me shaking his arm. His eyes open and he begins to feel uncomfortable by the stares of Mum and Haymitch and the glare from Dad.

"Morning, lovebirds." Haymitch comments, causing my cheeks to turn into a deep red. Despite my deep embarrassment, I manage an eye roll.

"Shut up, Uncle." I say.

"Morning Haymitch." Keeth greets. "Come on, Ashlyn. It's just some fun." He's right, Fun is something rare so I guess I should cherish it.

"Ashlyn. Effie's looking for you." Mum tells me.

"Good luck." Keeth says. I glare at him as I leave the car but as I leave I hear Keeth follow. He pulls me towards me and quickly stuffs a piece of paper in my hand. As quickly as he arrived, he leaves and soon Dad walks out of the car. I indicate Dad to calm down and in response he gives me a smile, one that tells me he has returned to his normal self.

After a while, Keeth and I meet in the dining car.

"Did you read what was on the piece of paper?" Keeth asks. The memory of the paper hits me.

"No. Sorry. I forgot." I say.

"It's okay. Read it now." As he says that I take the piece of paper out of the pocket and unfold it. When I open it and begin to read, I'm shocked to see lyrics. Lyrics to the music Keeth composed the other day. As I get to the chorus, I realise that Keeth has used the lyrics I gave him. _Lead me out with your voice._ The lyrics are beautiful. I only gave him one line and he used that to come up with an absolutely mesmerising song and meaningful lyrics.

"Keeth." I say, which comes out as a whisper.

"I thought you could sing this in the Capitol." Keeth suggests, reminding me about singing. Since my talent is singing and it cannot be presented physically, Aquilo is making me sing during the interview with Caesar.

"I love it." I tell him. "But I can't. It's a love song, Keeth. Aquilo told me to stay away from you and plus, the Capitol people will start creating rumours."

"It doesn't matter, Ashlyn." Keeth says, stepping forward, taking my hands into his. "I just wanted you to have this. This is really special to me."

"We're almost at District 10." Effie announces as she walks into the car. "Get ready."

* * *

The rest of the Victory Tour goes quite quickly, with the same schedule: wake up, get prepped, get dressed, give you speech, have dinner and then board the train to the next District. Every speech we made ended up with the crowd chanting the word 'united' and then us being pushed back into the Justice Building. District 2 was the same. Giving a speech and then hearing chants in response. They're a lot quieter in this District. I always knew 2 would be a challenge and even 1. Since their Career Districts. District 4 was supportive, just as much as the other Districts.

The District I was dreading the most was District 8 as well as 2 because I killed Paige but District 8 seemed angry at the Capitol rather than me. Keeth and I complete our speech with the word 'united' and we are about to leave the stage when two little girls walk up onto the stage with a bouquet of flowers. There was nothing shocking about the mandatory honouring of the Victors but when one girl was handing me my bouquet, she discreetly hands me an envelope and gives me a soft and sympathetic smile before walking off the stage. I try not to make my confusion noticeable as we walk back into the Justice Building. My mind doesn't seem to focus on the dinner as I just wait for the moment I can get back on the train and find out what is contained in the snow-white envelope. Once dinner is over and we have boarded the train, I make a beeline for my allotted room, change into comfortable clothes before opening the envelope. I take the contents out of the envelope and notice that there are more than one papers. I furrow my brow in confusion as I gently unfold the paper and smoothen it out before reading the cursive but slightly rushed or shabby writing.

 _Dear,_

 _Ashlyn Mellark._

 _I know you're not expecting this letter, especially from me, but this needs to be done. I'm not usually good with talking about things. It never usually comes out right. But it's necessary to tell you all of this. For me. And Mason._

 _I know that Katniss doesn't want to talk to me and probably hates me more than she used to, but I have no other way of conveying my message to her. She used to be my best friend and thoughts of her make me realise that time has changed everything. We used to be each other's support, but now it's different. She doesn't want to see me. In fact, she hates me. I'm not sure whether Katniss told you about this, but she thinks that I dropped the bombs that killed her sister Prim. But I would never do that to her, Ashlyn. In fact I vowed to look after her. But, deep down, there is a bit of guilt, whenever I think of Prim, because I did design those bombs. But I never intended on them being used on Prim or anyone on the rebel side. I never did._

 _I always wanted to see Katniss. I always wanted to come back home to 12. In fact, there have been several occasions where all my bags are packed and I am at the train station about to board the train for 12, when something stops me from getting on the train. I freeze. I may be physically strong, but emotionally I am not. I can't take that much pressure. I always regret not being there for Katniss during the important events of her life, like her wedding or her child's birthdays. But I want to change that. Especially now, when we are all meant to be UNITED. I know that Katniss despises me and probably never wants to see my face again, but I want her to know that I miss the times we spent together in the woods when we were ourselves. I miss being hunting partners. And most of all, I miss being best friends._

 _This letter isn't just for Katniss. It is also for you, Ashlyn. May be I am not supposed to tell you this and maybe Mason wouldn't want me to tell you either, but I know that if I don't tell you then Mason's soul will never rest in peace. Mason never wanted to hurt you, Ashlyn. He was too good to hurt you._

 _When I watched him during the Games, I felt like I didn't even know my own son. He would never have done that to you, if it weren't for Aquilo. Aquilo contacted us before the Games. Aquilo instructed Mason to do everything he had done in the Games. To betray you. To hurt you. To make you lose. And in return, Aquilo would make sure Mason won. Mason was reluctant to do so and then Aquilo threatened to kill my youngest son, Liam. And Mason did what he said. But he could only go so far. Mason could never hurt anyone and I guess that is what caused him to reform, even if it meant the death of his own brother because Aquilo's threats are never empty. The second he wandered away from the plan, Peacekeepers came and took Liam. I couldn't do anything about it. My eldest son, Lewis attacked one of the Peacekeepers but he got whipped publically in return. I was torn apart that day. Torn between stopping Liam going or stopping the whipping of Lewis or beg Aquilo to spare Mason. All three of my sons were in danger and I couldn't save any of them._

 _I'm not blaming you for Mason's death, Ashlyn. Somewhere deep down I knew that Mason could not live with himself for whatever he had done to you and his brother and even if he did Aquilo would not let him live in peace. Although I don't want to admit it, deep down I didn't want Mason to survive the Games. I know the struggles of a Victor, watching Katniss after her Games and somewhere I knew that Aquilo would not let Mason live in peace. When, Mason sacrificed his life, I didn't shed a tear because I wasn't sad or upset. I was proud of my son, for not letting the Games change his character. Or his morals. Even though I was losing my son, I was happy that my son was not losing himself in that place._

 _Somewhere I knew that Mason would never be able to harm you. He never tells me anything but I always knew that deep down he really liked you. He had this childish crush on you when your two met when you were 6. I remember when he asked me when he could get married to you, when you were six. I laughed and thought that this would die down, but I guess it never did. When I was watching the Games and he talked about his mother, I knew that he felt comfortable with you. He never talks about his mother to anyone and never shows his sadness about her. Whatever he said to you in his last moments were all true, Ashlyn. All true. He really did love you. And he loved you enough to realise that you love Keeth and that's why he let you go. And I'm proud of him._

 _Maybe I stepped over the line a bit or crossed my limits in this letter, but in my heart there is this satisfaction or content that I have told you everything. Right now, while you're reading this, I can picture Mason looking down upon us and smiling, happy that maybe people won't misunderstand him anymore._

 _I never really thought there could be anyone worse than Snow. But I was wrong. Aquilo is far worse. Aquilo plays with your emotions. Breaks you emotionally. Kills you from within. He uses your weaknesses against you. And yours is your trust. Be careful, Ashlyn. Aquilo will be or already is using your trust against you. He will make your feel betrayed and he has already started. That's why he used Mason. So you feel betrayed and weak. Don't let him control you. Because the future of Panem is in your hands._

 _From,_

 _Gale Hawthorne._

The tears in my eyes, flowing down, cause the paper to dampen, although when I took it out of the envelope it was already quite moist. Maybe because Gale was also probably crying when he wrote this. I hold the paper to my heart and cry, thinking about Mason having to decide between hurting me or his brother. Thinking about saving his brother's life or not. What about Liam? Was he tortured or not? Is he dead or not? Images of Lewis getting whipped brutally and publically appear in my mind. I can't believe I misunderstood Mason. He was just like me. Only trying to protect his family. Just trying to save their lives. Just like I was trying to do and still am. But Mason was better than me. At least he did not give up his morals. He was braver than all of us, to take such a step, despite knowing the consequences of his actions.

As I cry, the envelope slips out of my hand and falls onto the floor producing a loud noise. I furrow my brow in confusion due to the fact that the envelope is empty. I reach down to pick up the envelope and realise that there are additional contents in there. I open the envelope, dig my hand inside and manage to take out a tape. What will I do with this? What could be in this? I try my best to hide the fact that I cried and walk out of my room and find an Avox that could help me with this tape.

After about five minutes of looking I find one and she guides me to the TV compartment. She disappears from the TV Compartment, just after she indicates for me to wait and comes back a few minutes later handing me a remote and points towards the play button.

I watch her leave the compartment and then press the play button. I expect it to be just audio but when I watch the television turn on I realise that there's more than I expected. I am taken aback at the sight of Coin on the screen. She looks just as I remember seeing her in textbooks at school. She has the same grey hair falling as an unbroken sheet and stops at her shoulders and eyes a pale grey. She is sitting at a desk. Then Plutarch Heavensbee walks into Command of District 13. As second nature, I fidget with the charm bracelet, Meadow gave me when we were in the Games. I cannot say that I cherished this bracelet as I left the bracelet in the Capitol, but Justice managed to get it back for me. Since then I realised my irresponsibility and I have never let the bracelet out of my sight.

"Plutarch." Coin says, indicating Plutarch to sit.

"The rebels are closing in towards Snow's mansion. Anyone can see that the game is over for them at this point." Plutarch says.

"Snow has just announced that he will be allowing people to stay at his mansion." Coin states. "There are floods of people heading towards his mansion." Coin adds. "He has created a human shield outside his mansion, filled with children. Capitol children. Snow's last attempt in survival."

"That will not be a great issue. Our team of rebels can easily defeat them." Plutarch tries to convince.

"We cannot take a risk. We need to defeat the Capitol." Coin says. "This human shield can pose as a real threat for our forces. They won't be able to attack."

"We could get in a team that could evacuate all the children." Plutarch suggests.

"It will not work. The Peacekeeping force is really strong. Evacuating the children will be far more challenging than just attacking through them." Coin says. Plutarch does not reply. Coin puts the tip of her pen in her mouth and bites it gently, clearly thinking deeply. "Those bombs, designed by Soldier Hawthorne and Soldier Latier, are they ready?" Coin asks.

"I believe they are."

"Those will be used. Ask Soldier Latier to keep them ready." Coin orders.

"We need Soldier Hawthorne and Latier's permission before using the bomb as they still haven't handed the bomb over-"Plutarch tries to challenge but is cut off.

"I am the President of District 13, Plutarch. They do not need to be asked." Coin says. "Besides we don't have any connection with Soldier Hawthorne. He would not be able to be informed."

"But those bombs. They will kill the children." Plutarch says.

"Capitol children, Plutarch." Coin corrects. "There are always going to be deaths in order to establish a safer and happier world. These are just a few." Plutarch sits quietly, knowing that there would not way in which he can change her mind. Coin, clearly seeming victorious, signs the official papers authorising the dropping of the bombs. "Here." She says handing over the papers to Plutarch. "And set up a team of medics that will go to the Capitol. They will be needed after the wave of bombs." Plutarch nods and walks out of the room.

"Gale was always right." I hear a voice say behind me. Her voice full of pain and regret. She stands at the doorway, wiping the single tear on her cheek. Her eyes never leave the TV screen as she walks towards me. "He didn't kill her. He's innocent, Ashlyn. He's innocent." Mum says, her face displaying both relief and regret. "I should've just forgotten. Forgotten his link to the bombs he made but had no intention to use on Prim. I should've figured it out. Asked people. Asked Plutarch." Mum cries. "He's suffered so much because of me." That's the moment when I take out the letter from Gale. However, when I take the letter out another folded piece of paper falls onto the ground. I decide on giving the letter to Mum first.

"Mum." I say. She finally takes her eyes of the screen and looks at me. "Gale. He sent this." I say, handing the letter to Mum. Mum looks at the letter for a while before taking it. She begins reading the letter, while I bend down to pick up the other piece of paper. I begin to unfold the paper when the sound of the door of Command grabs my attention back onto the screen.

A young girl about thirteen or fourteen years of age with blond hair braided into two sections walks into the room. Her face is beaming with innocence but at the same time maturity. She walks towards the desk and Coin tells her to sit.

"Prim." Mum says, her voice filled with sadness and love. I turn to see Mum. I don't take my eyes of the screen for long as I immediately turn my head back.

"Primrose Everdeen." Coin says. "You have been chosen to be a part of the team of medics that will go to the Capitol." Prim, or Aunt Prim's, face beams at the news. I have always heard that she wanted to be healer and I guess this was a great opportunity for her. "We understand that you are young, but we have observed you in the hospital we have concluded that you are able enough to join the team."

"Thank you. Thank you for letting me go." Prim says.

"But let me warn you that that is a war zone. It is incredibly dangerous. Do you still wish to go?" Coin asks.

"I will need to ask mother." Prim tells her.

"There's no time for that, Miss Everdeen. The medics leave soon." Coin says trying her best to make sure Prim goes to the Capitol, only to wait for her death. Prim thinks for quite a while. She twiddles her thumbs constantly while pondering about her decision.

"I'll go." Prim says, confidently. "I'll do this for Katniss."

Coin. She had planned everything. You could tell. She refused asking permission from the people who made the bomb, she did not hesitate once to authorise the killing of children despite the fact that they were Capitol children and she did not allow Prim to tell her mother about being a part of the medics' team.

"Prim." Mum cries. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

"It's not your fault Mum." I say. "She was just a victim of a huge conspiracy."

"What did she ever do, Ashlyn?" Mum asks. "She was full of innocence. Full of love."

"Since when in our world are good people treated well." I say.

"Just like Gale." Mum says showing me the letter. "His family."

"His family have suffered so much, Mum." I say. "And Gale. He-he's lost two of his sons."

"He's suffered more than me. More than us, Ashlyn." Mum states.

"And we've always misunderstood them." I say. "Mason. I-I thought he betrayed me. That he was just using me. But he was the complete opposite. He didn't want to lose himself in the Games. He loved me, Mum. He didn't want to hurt me, despite knowing he would lose his brother." I cry.

"I remember when the two of you met when you were about six years old. You two were inseparable in the one week we were in the Capitol. He was so sweet. And so polite. I should've known that he could never be like that." Mum recalls.

"I just wish I had a chance to save him." I say. Mum simply sighs in response and sits on the couch in defeat. I take the silence as an opportunity to unfold the piece of paper in my hand. The paper looks quite old but lacks any creases that appear on old papers. This seems to be preserved. When I read the first line, I don't dare to read any further. At least not by myself.

Slowly, I take a seat next to Mum.

"Mum." I whisper. She turns to look at me. "There's one more." I say, handing over the paper in my hand. She takes the paper and begins reading. I look over and read too.

 _Dear Katniss,_

 _If you've received this letter, I would not be with you at the moment. Probably in a better place right now. Away from Snow's torture and rule. I may be watching you right now, with father by my side, living a peaceful life in District 12. You would probably go hunting even though you wouldn't need to bringing back game. With Gale by your side, both hunting as habit. I know you really well, Katniss, which is why I know that my death would have a great impact on my life. You would probably not eat. Not move. Not do the things you normally do. But please don't. I don't want you to suffer for me. As I was a child, all I ever did was watch you grow up and mature early, taking all the responsibilities of the family, caring for us and making sure we survive. I don't want the rest of your life to be the same. Especially because of me._

 _I know that by now that the rebels must have definitely defeated the Capitol. I wish I was there with you but maybe not being there is the best. That's why I went there. That's why I went to the Capitol. I realised that President Coin didn't want you alive. She looked at you as a threat to her power. I realised that when she sent Peeta to the Capitol to join your squad. In that state, Peeta would kill you. He had no control over himself at times and I realised your life was in danger. And when I was summoned by Coin and she told me that I could be on the medics' team it just proved to me that she wanted you to be weak. The medics' team was usually filled with adults and then her selecting me to go shocked me. But then I realised that she wanted to kill me. She wanted you to watch me die. Watch the girl you always protected to die. So that you didn't have the power to fight. She was playing the same Games as Snow and did whatever it took to break you. Plutarch tried to stop me. Told me that he would figure out a way, but I refused. The best option I had was to die. Because I have always been your weakness Katniss. Always. If my name hadn't been reaped, you wouldn't have volunteered for the Games and potentially die. And now if I were to be alive, you would have another person to be used against you. To make you feel weak. To make you controlled. If I were alive, Coin would've used me against you so you could give her your support. I didn't want to be the reason for you to be supporting another person that would drag Panem towards another Hunger Games. Although I knew that you would be broken by my death I felt that by writing this letter to you, you will understand why I did it and maybe move on in life._

 _Katniss, I want you to live your life. I know you won't be able to forget me Katniss. You love me so much. But remember that there are other people in your life. There are other people that you should be certain you love. There's mother. And Gale. And Rory. Then there's Haymitch. And lastly, Peeta. They are all there in your life. And they all love you, Katniss. Don't feel lonely. Please._

 _I hope that in the future you have beautiful children. Maybe a son and daughter. Both resembling you. Maybe one resembling me. One probably exactly like you. A hunter. And one like their father. They would be happy and so would you, knowing that their names would not be in the reaping bowls and that there are no chances for them to go into the Games. If only I could hear them call me 'aunt Prim'. If only I could've carried them in my arms. But I'm happy knowing that they have such a loving mother like you and the knowledge that you had a sister called Primrose that would love them if she had the chance._

 _Don't miss me Katniss. Because you only miss people who are far away from you. And I've not gone away from you, Katniss. We have always been together, since our childhood, with you always looking out for me. And nothing is going to change. I'm not going away from you, Katniss. I'm right there. In your heart._

 _Love, your dearest Prim._

"Prim." Mum cries. "I love you." I love you, Aunt Prim. I wish you were here. With me. "You were never my weakness. You were my strength. And will always be."

I don't really know a lot about Prim but I know that she was very sweet and lovable. After reading this letter, I just wish I met her. As Mum cries I notice another piece of paper stapled to Prim's letter. Silently, I take the letter from Mum and see it's another one from Gale.

 _Dear Katniss,_

 _This letter from Prim has always been with me. Prim gave the letter to Rory so he could give it to you, but he couldn't. We went District 2. I tried, Katniss. I tried many times to just give you this letter. But I couldn't. I didn't want to risk sending it through someone else, because this letter is very precious and I know that you wouldn't able to bare the fact that Prim's last words to you has gone. But after everything that has been happening, I realised that you need this letter. To give you strength and courage. I'm sorry I couldn't get it to you before._

 _Love from Gale._

* * *

Effie's loud and perky voice wakes me up as I groggily get out of bed. I shower and walk out to the dining car.

"Ah. Ashlyn. You're right on time." Effie says, happily. Everyone is already present at the table and I fill my plate and take my seat too. Effie checks her schedule before continuing to speak. "We will be reaching the Capitol soon. You will be there for three days before-."

"Three days?" Mum asks, clearly managing well, despite reading the letter for Gale and Prim the night before the last. I managed to console her that day and managed to give her strength. But I feel that it was Aunt Prim's letter that gave her the most strength. "I don't remember staying there for that long."

"Aquilo's orders." Effie chirps. "So today, Keeth and Ashlyn, you will have your interviews with Caesar and then in the evening there will be a party at the President's mansion. The rest of your stay will be announced soon."

 _Great,_ I think to myself. _Just great._

* * *

I wait in my room in the Training Centre for Justice to arrive. My make-up, applied by my prep-team, is dominantly blue, which hints to me that my clothes are a similar colour. My hair has been curled into dark ringlets and is left out. After a long wait, Justice walks into the room with a large black bag. Once I have put on the dress, Justice makes some final adjustments and then permits me to look at myself in the mirror. I wear a free-flowing light sea-green dress with the hem being high, up to my mid-thigh from the front and the hem feather-touching the floor from the back. The colour is a gradient from light to dark. There are silver sequins on the hem of the dress. My heels are a matching silver. Overall, I look enchanting.

I am escorted backstage in order to wait for my entrance. Keith is said to be on the other side, waiting. Effie instructs me to wait until my name is announced and Keeth and I will walk on stage from opposite directions. One person informs me that it will be quite a while till I will be called by Caesar so I take a seat on a small couch backstage, my leg jittering due to nerves. My mind is focusing on what I need to say in the interview and most importantly the song I will sing. However, my thoughts are interrupted by a loud thud. Scared and startled, I jolt up and turn on my heel to see a Peacekeeper.

"Come with me." He says in a deep voice. For some reason, there is no shock or surprise or confusion from my behalf. It's like I've been expecting this from the start. To be summoned by a Peacekeeper. To be taken away and in custody. To be tortured brutally until I speak or reveal any information. Eventually to be killed. Maybe Aquilo can arrest or kill a Victor. Maybe I underestimated his intentions. The Peacekeeper leads me through many doors and along many hallways until he stops at a door and indicates me to walk in. I take a very deep breath, bracing myself for the short future ahead of me and twist the polished brass knob and step inside. A bearded man sits at the oak desk, his snake-like and venomous eyes boring into me. Despite the fact that the insides of me are shivering in fear at the sight of President Aquilo, I manage to plaster a confident and fearless look on my face as I approach the chairs opposite him.

"Ah. Miss Mellark. Take a seat." Aquilo says motioning me. I comply as I pull the chair out and take a seat. "I am sure you must have expected this visit." Expected? Why would I expect this? Then I remember – the deal. He's going to tell me about the deal. I realise that I haven't responded to what he has been saying so I speak.

"Yes. The deal." I say.

"Correct." He says. "I have put a lot of thought into this and I feel like many people will benefit from this deal that we will make." Aquilo says. "After your Games, you have been the centre of attention and interest amongst many people in the Capitol. However, there's one in particular, one who is part of this deal."

Here it comes. I hold the charm bracelet in my hand and squeeze it in my hand waiting him to break the news that I will now have to sell my body. But it never comes. In fact, it's something else. Something that I never expected. Something that is worse than what I expected.

"You have agreed to marry my son before the next Games."

* * *

 **Wow! I am actually very pleased with this chapter. And I was especially happy about revealing the deal. So, did you expect that? I always had this deal planned that Ashlyn would have to marry Aquilo's son. So, what will she do now? Will she agree or not? Who do you think Aquilo's son will be and how do you think he is? And what about her feelings for Keeth? Poor Kashlyth. There's always something tearing them apart.**

 **I also included a moment of protective Peeta. I actually quite liked writing that segment because I would honestly expect Peeta to fight for the people he loves. What did you think of that?**

 **How did you like Prim and Gale's letter? Their letters were the main reason why I couldn't update quicly as I wanted to make sure their letters are perfect. What did you think about them? Please send me feedback for this chapter because it took me quite a while to write.**

 **Please review guys. I cherish your support and value them very much.**

 **Follow! Favourite! REVIEW!**


	38. Marcus

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, sadly. I am not the genius that came up with this inspiring idea.**

 **A/N: Please forgive me, guys. I'm really sorry. I haven't updated for a month. I just have been so busy with science coursework and then surprise mock exams this Thursday that I am revising for. I was planning on updating sooner but my chapter got deleted and I have had to rewrite it. I know these are not reasons to not be writing but please forgive me. I also want to apologise for not thanking my reviewers in my previous chapter. I realised this and I felt extremely bad for not giving any credit to you guys. So I want to give you guys huge thanks to all my reviewers. I wouldn't be able to write without you. So without further ado, I give you chapter 38. Read, enjoy and Review!**

* * *

 **Marcus**

"You have agreed to marry my son before the next Games."

"What!" I say.

How could he do this to me? I can't. I can't do this. I can't marry someone I don't love. And more importantly, I can't marry Aquilo's son. He is probably just as cruel and heartless as his father. And how could a heartless person be in love? Not possible. And I can never learn to love anyone else because my heart belongs to Keeth. My head begins to spin and I try my best to control myself and my tears. I know I can't refuse but what else can I do. I don't want to be trapped for the rest of my life. But I also don't want my brother, Rye, to go through the same pain and misery I went through in the Games. I guess I have to try and convince Aquilo not to. Or agree to this sacrifice.

"What's the problem Miss Mellark?" Aquilo asks. "Is it Mr Ambertson?" I look away at the mention of Keeth.

"No-no. I, um, don't even like him." I lie.

"Don't lie to me, Miss Mellark." Aquilo hisses. "I warned you to stay away from him." I don't reply. "Well, now you have no choice but to stay away from him." Now that I'm going to marry his son, Keeth will have to go away from me.

"I'm only sixteen, President Aquilo." I convince. "I'm too young."

"Young love." Aquilo says. "Isn't that what it is?" I nod, sheepishly. "Besides, your mother was going to get married to your father at the same age." _Thanks a lot Mum and Dad,_ I think to myself. "But it's up to you, Miss Mellark. If you agree, it will be beneficial for everyone. However, if you disagree it is absolutely fine. I will just have to get my son something else he wants. Like entertainment. Maybe the participation of Rye Mellark in the next Games. I'm sure that will please him." The mention of Rye makes my heart pick up the pace. He's threatening me. Rye's life is at stake again. "You can go now, Miss Mellark."

"No," I say, almost too quickly, as though Aquilo will just vanish and this is the end. "I will marry your son."

"Splendid," Aquilo says. "The engagement will be on the day after tomorrow. Invitations will be sent tomorrow." That's why our stay in the Capitol was prolonged. I just need to delay this wedding as much as possible or date it on a day where I won't need to stay with his son for long. When could that be? When could that be? The Games.

"I have a condition," I say. "Two actually." My hands shiver as I try and show some authority in front of Aquilo. Surprisingly, he takes it better than I thought.

"Please, Miss Mellark. Go ahead." Aquilo tells me.

"The wedding should be held one day before the Games," I say. That way as soon as the wedding is over I can board a train back to District 12 as I will be the mentor and I will need to be present during the reaping. Then I can just make excuses about mentoring overnight to get away from his son. It will only last till the end of the Games but any time is worth it. Aquilo seems to be pondering deeply over my condition.

"Hm. Well, I don't see any problem with that." Aquilo says and I sigh in relief. "And your other condition?"

"That I don't come to the Capitol between the engagement and wedding," I say. Aquilo doesn't take long to agree to this.

"I have accepted both your conditions and now I want you to make sure you do not create any problems," Aquilo says. "You may go now." At his command, I get up from my seat and head for the door. Just as my hand touches the doorknob, Aquilo says something else.

"One wrong move, Miss Mellark, and your family suffers." Aquilo threatens. I look back timidly give a curt nod and slip out of the room.

Surprisingly, the Peacekeeper that escorted me to this room to meet Aquilo is till outside, ready to take my backstage for the interview. My mind is currently far from the interview. All I can think of is my fate. Being married to Aquilo's son, a person whom I don't even know the name of. He's probably just the same as his father and great grandfather. Just as cruel and heartless. How could he possibly love me? He probably doesn't even know the meaning of love. But I will be married to this guy. Spending the rest of my life with him as there's no chance of escaping this. I'm trapped. I'm really trapped. And what do I tell Keeth? That I love him but I'm going to marry another guy. I know he will know why I will be marrying him but will he understand why I am just giving up on us? Why is there always something tearing us apart? Why is there never happiness between us?

I hold my tears back as we head backstage, not wanting others to know that I'm crying. My mind only dwells on my dark future, living in the Capitol, that I don't realise that Caesar has announced our names. Someone needs to literally push me on stage. I can imagine how I look: distanced, confused and almost robotic. I keep my eyes down as I walk to our seats, not wanting to look Keeth in the eye. If I do, I know I will break down. I know that the grief of knowing that I can never be with him will take over. Caesar seems to be bickering but it's like I can't even hear him. I thought that even though we don't have the freedom of speech here, we have the freedom to choose who we love and who we decide to marry, if anyone. But that's also been snatched away from me. I feel a hand shaking my left shoulder which also shakes me out of my thoughts.

"Huh?" I say, confused of what's going on. The crowd bursts into a fit of laughter and cheering along with Caesar. I manage to plaster a small smile, still unknown about what's going on.

"Just like her mother was." Caesar says, remembering Mum's first interview. But this is different. "But didn't we all think she was more like Peeta when it came to interviews?" He asks and the crowds chants yes. "I asked how was life after your victory?"

"Oh, um, sorry. I guess all the travelling to districts has made me a bit worn out." I say, coming up with an excuse for my weird behaviour.

"Understandable. Plus, we're in for a treat with our Victors staying in the Capitol for two more days." Caesar says excitable. A treat for you, I think to myself. Because I'll be getting engaged a guy I don't know. The interview goes on with my responses being one worded or half-hearted. Between every question I picture the wedding or the engagement in the near future. Standing next to a man whom I don't even know, smiling half-heartedly and just staring at Keeth wishing that the man I am standing next to were Keeth.

Soon comes the moment when Keeth plays a piece of music on a piano they wheeled onto the stage. After this I will sing. But I can't. I don't have the courage or energy within me. As Keeth begin playing, I am mesmerised and under the control of the beautiful music, which just makes me love Keeth even more. But I need to stay away from him. Because I will hurt him. If I lead Keeth on to thinking that we have a future together it will just hurt him even more and break his heart when he sees me tie the knot with someone else.

The music only fills my mind with moments I have had with Keeth and fills my eyes with tears. Soon his piece is over and it is my turn to sing. Caesar hands me a mic and I take it subconsciously and stand on the middle of the stage absolutely clueless. I stare into the spotlights as tears flow down my cheek. I've lost everything. I've lost my happiness. I've lost my freedom. I've lost my love. And the rest of my life will be filled with sadness and hopelessness. I will be breathing but I won't be able to live without my family and Keeth. I will be living in the Capitol, away from my parents, Rye and my friends. And then there's Keeth. My life will be empty without him. I won't survive without him.

Murmurs begin in the crowd as I stand motionless. I just can't find my voice. I just can't get anything out of me. That is until I hear it. Until I hear the music. Keeth's music. I turn, shocked to see Keeth at the piano looking at me and nodding. This is the song he wrote and gave the lyrics to. He's saving me. I look back to the crowds and recollect the mesmerising lyrics written on the piece of paper.

I see everything that you are,

And I just don't know where to start

No, I can't promise you. Go.

You filled my heart and the void.

We're like strangers to what we feel

Until me and you make it real

Colours you send to my soul

Leave me no choice.

Here, I go

What can I say

It's what sends me every day

Into such a lovely place

Your presence is why, no I cannot deny.

For there must be light,

Come out, it will guide me

Protect from the dark

Yeah

For this is just right

See now it's our love

Sing out, it's just me to you

Lead me out with your voice.

Any moment that we spend apart

Is like making me reach for a star

I am defenceless for you

Dancing with joy.

Here, I go

What can I say

It's what sends me every day

Into such a lovely place

Your presence is why, no I cannot deny.

For there must be light,

Come out, it will guide me

Protect from the dark

Yeah

For this is just right

See now it's our love

Sing out, it's just me to you

So follow me home,

If you're searching for someone like me.

Your smile is magic

And it's filling me with energy

For there must be light,

Come out, it will guide me

Protect from the dark

Y-yeah yeah yeah yeah.

For this is just right

See now it's our love

Sing out, it's just me to you.

For there must be light,

Come out, it will guide me

Protect from the dark

Yeah

For this is just right

See now it's our love

Sing out, it's just me to you

Lead me out with your voice.

The crowd is silent for some time until they burst into a fit of cheers. I turn around and smile sadly at Keeth while wiping away the tears that are still flowing down my cheek and Keeth gives me a nod and smile before he gets up and makes his way to me. All through the song I resisted the urge to just turn around and sing to Keeth. I resisted the urge to walk to Keeth and sing with him, making the moment even more special. However, my thoughts were definitely filled with Keeth. This song has just made it harder for me to go away from Keeth because this song just reminds me of him. But more than that it reminds me about our situation. In the song the word 'light' is hope of us escaping the clutches of the 'dark' or the Capitol. 'Lead me out with your voice' shows us how love can get us out of this. Maybe love can get me out of this. Maybe my love for Keeth can lead me out. But how?

"That was an absolutely beautiful love song. It must have been for someone." Caesar asks.

"No. Not at all." I say.

"You sang with so much love. So much passion. There must be someone." Caesar pries.

"There may be." I say, not giving out details. The song I sang has just given me the confidence to speak and try and pay attention.

"Does he have a name?" Caesar asks, clearly not giving up.

"I guess you'll just have to find out." I say.

"I guess we will have to find out who this mystery guy is." Caesar says. They'll find out tomorrow, anyway. Although it won't be the person I'm talking about. "Anyway, I present to you the victors of the 77th Hunger Games, Keeth Ambertson and Ashlyn Mellark!"

As soon as we're out of sight and I run towards the elevator but Justice stops me, telling me that we need to go to the President's mansion for a party. Justice leads me to another room immediately and sits me down on the chair. He takes out a couple of tissues and instead of handing them to me, he tabs the areas around my eyes and my cheeks so that I don't ruin the make-up doing it myself.

"You know you can tell me if there's something bothering you." Justice says as he retouches my make-up.

"There's nothing bothering me." I lie, holding back my tears again.

"It's alright if you don't want to. But it will make you feel better." Justice says. "And I promise I won't tell anyone." That's when I lose it. I jump off my seat and hug Justice, which catches him off guard. Soon he wraps his arms around me and rubs my back soothingly. Tears spill out of my eyes causing his clothes to dampen but that does not faze him.

"E-everything has gone wrong." I say. "I've lost. Aquilo's managed to break me."

"What happened, Ashlyn? Tell me."

"Aquilo's making me marry his son before the next Games." I say.

"What?" Justice says shocked as he pulls apart from our embrace and holds me at arm length. "Why?"

That is a question I know the answer to. Aquilo has many reasons to continue with this wedding. One being that his son will be happy and in control. Two, Aquilo can keep his eyes on me now that I will be staying in the Capitol. Three, Aquilo can control the Districts as they would think that I am now a part of the Capitol rather than the districts and would have no hope. Four, Aquilo would have a reason to send Rye into the Games if I decide to disagree, which I won't, however. Five, Aquilo can break me forever. Six, he can break Keeth too. Seven, the Mockingjay will be helpless now that her daughter is closer to Aquilo than herself. However, one disadvantage is that Aquilo is just giving me easy access to his mansion and the rooms in it. But Aquilo's smarter than that. He would probably lock every door in the mansion and deploy double the Peacekeepers to guard every door I don't have authorised access to. I know Aquilo's intentions very well but I don't mention it to Justice.

"I don't know." I say. "But I'm trapped." I cannot endanger Justice with this information about Aquilo. I mean he can probably assume Aquilo's intentions but telling him would mean anything that happens in the future would be because of me. "Invitations are being sent out tomorrow for an engagement party on the day after tomorrow and I don't know what to do. Especially about Keeth."

"You need to tell him before he finds out by the invites." Justice advises. He's right.

"I know." I say. But how? I just don't have the courage to tell him.

The silence that falls between us is an indication to Justice to carry on with his work as he continues to apply make-up. Once I am presentable again we are taken to the venue of the party: the banquet hall. The ceiling has been transformed into a beautiful night sky. One that looks the same as the one in District 12. The same one I saw with Keeth in the woods. But for some reason, the beauty of the sky is not visible in the Capitol. It is more enchanting at home, in peace. When I say that the banquet hall is extravagant it is an understatement. Numerous plush sofas and chairs are scattered across the hall with fireplaces nearby. There are a few miniature flower gardens and ponds around the room. However, the most attractive and eye-catching part of the party are the tables and tables of food. Anything a person in the District could dream of is here but for the Capitol it is something they see every day. The amount of food around me makes me feel extremely confused on what to start with.

"Don't know where to start?" Keeth asks as he places his hands on my shoulders behind me and whispers in my ear. At his touch I turn around quickly, trying to avoid any closeness between us. I shake my head. "Soups?" He asks and I nod as we walk up to the table and examine the countless varieties. That's the state of every table we visit. Confusion. I stuff myself to the limit until I cannot eat more. Every time I'm not eating or chewing, someone walks up to me, compliments my look, kisses my cheek, praises the Games and then ends on one final note: "can't wait to find out about your mystery guy." I, inwardly, groan at that but then realise they will be told who it is tomorrow. I hear Keeth chuckle behind me.

"So, Miss Mellark, please tell us who this mystery guy is." Keeth says in a Capitol accent. "Is it someone from District 12 or a guy from the Capitol?" He asks and my eyes widen at his mention of Capitol guy.

As Keeth and I stop eating, we gain many side glances from the Capitol people who clearly think it is absurd to not be eating when you can just vomit and eat again. Or course, that is something I do not want to do. In order to get rid of these looks, Keeth decides to do something.

"Let's dance." Keeth says, offering his hand to me. I hesitate.

"I'm not sure." I say, avoiding a moment of intimacy with Keeth.

"Don't worry. I'm here to support you." He says as though he weren't just talking about this dance but something much larger. He takes my hand and leads me to the dance floor. No one really seems to notice us as they're too busy dancing or bickering, thankfully. Keeth wraps his arm around me and pulls me into him as we move around in circles.

"I just can't wait to go back home." Keeth says. "All this extravagance and selfishness is really too much for me."

"They're just sick." I tell him. "They cannot see the pain we're going through back home."

"I just wish we didn't have to stay here for another two days," Keeth says. "What's that even about?" This is my chance; I think to myself. My chance to tell him. But is this the right place? Before I can decide what to do, I hear a voice behind Keeth as he places his arm on his shoulder. His face is hidden behind Keeth. Keeth looks back over his shoulder, revealing a golden strand of hair. Keeth nods, having no other choice but to do so. He looks back at me pitifully, squeezes my hand and hesitatingly let's go of me. Instantly, another pair of hands is placed in mine. He pulls me, almost aggressively, towards him and snakes his arms around my waist. I comply a few seconds later and wrap my arms around his neck, seeming it would be rude and insulting for the person to reject their offer. I look up at the face of the person. His hair is an astonishing golden blond, that is gelled back as a quiff. I look into his deep blue eyes, that tell me who it is. Marcus. When he came to District 12 a few weeks ago, his hair was wavy and messy however now it is tamed, giving him a sophisticated look. There is a huge contract with how he looked before and now. It is astounding how a change in hairstyle can change the appearance of someone. He stares at me for quite a while until his eyes scan me from head to do.

"You look beautiful." He says to me, caressing my cheek. It takes every ounce of tolerance in me to resist running away at his touch. It gave me a sickening feeling.

"Thanks." I say, simply, looking away from Marcus. He sways me gently as he continues to talk.

"I can't wait till the engagement." He says and the shock causes me to stop moving. Have the Capitol been informed about the engagement already? Or maybe only important Capitol officials have been told this? Maybe Marcus is one of them? However, curiosity gets the better of me.

"How do you know?" I ask and in response I receive a chuckle from Marcus. I furrow my brow in confusion.

"You're so funny." He says as he continues to chuckle. After a while he stops and we begin to move in time with the music. "I can't wait till you're mine." He says and I stop moving again. What does he mean by that? And how will I be – that's when the realisation hits me.

He is Aquilo's son, Marcus Snow. My fiancé…

* * *

* Song from the show Violetta. I do not own this song.

* * *

 **A/N: I feel relieved posting this chapter and revealing the secret. I hope you guys liked it. I hope you liked the song too. I think it really reflects Ashlyn and Keeth's love in the cruel Capitol world.**

 **In penance for not updating for long I am offering something:**

 **You can ask any question to me through your reviews and I will answer it. If you are a guest it will be answered in the A/N in the next chapter. You can ask me anything you want unless of course it involves me revealing something absolutely major. But I will see. Please take advantage of this and ask away!**

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	39. Engagement

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games. I am not the genius that invented these amazing books.**

 **A/N: Again, I'm really sorry for not updating for 23 days. It was just that I had exams and then coursework and there was just so much pressure that I honestly didn't have time. But now that my holidays have begun I will hopefully be able to update. Fingers crossed. I also had a bit of writer' block. I mean I knew what I had to write about but I just couldn't find the words, if that makes sense. Thanks to all my followers and reviewers. You are my motivation. I just hope that for this chapter we can get more than 7 reviews. Please do this for me, guy. It would really mean a lot. Thanks. Read and Enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

 **Engagement**

Marcus Snow is Aquilo's son. He's my fiancé. I gulp at the realisation of getting engaged to Marcus in a day. Marcus, the self-centred and heartless man whose nature I could figure out in just days will soon be my life partner. He's the person I am being forced to spend my life with.

"You better look just as gorgeous on our engagement day." Marcus says, caressing my cheek. "If you do I don't think I'll be able to take my eyes off you."

I plaster a fake smile and stare blankly into space. We spend a lot more time just dancing to the music until Effie taps my shoulder and informs me that we are going back to the Training Centre. Marcus reluctantly let's go of me but not before leaning in a planting a kiss on my cheek. If there weren't so many people around us he would've kissed me on the lips. I'm sure of it. As soon as I am out of his sight I wipe my cheek, trying to rid the feeling of impurity and dirtiness I felt when he touched me.

The entire journey back to the Training Centre was filled with a strangely expected silence. No one dared to speak after witnessing the height of ignorance at the party. But I'm silent for another reason. The whole night's events just seem to weighing down on me, rendering me from speaking. And every time I try and speak I feel like I need to tell everyone what's happening, but I'm not ready. Not yet. But I'll need to tell them soon enough because they will find out tomorrow when the invitations arrive. If only time freezes and tomorrow never comes. Or the engagement just never comes.

As soon as we enter the District 12 penthouse I make a beeline for my room and rush into the shower, impatient to get rid of the enormous feel of impurity and dirt. I scrub my skin raw after applying every single scent of soap available, all the while cursing my life. Eventually, I collapse along the wall of the shower and fall onto the floor, crying, drowning my woes in the water of the shower. I watch as the tears flowing from my eyes and the water droplets mix until you can't even tell the difference.

I keep thinking about Marcus and the future that has been laid out for me. I cannot do this. I cannot live with Marcus. Everything Marcus says makes me realise that he doesn't love me for who I am. He loves my appearance. He likes materialistic items, like the expensive ring he bought in District 12. He loves his status and doesn't want anything lower. This just brings back memories of the jewellery shop and him insulting my choice of the simple ring – the one I adored. And every time I think of Marcus, I realise all the reasons why I love Keeth. This whole situation makes me realise how I have been unappreciative and ungrateful towards Keeth's love for me and how I have always been taking advantage of his love. It makes me realise how lucky I am to have met Keeth. But it also makes me think about how unlucky Keeth is to have met me because he has always been hurt by me and soon, well, he'll find out that I will be marrying someone else. That we will never unite.

I manage to pull myself together and get out of the shower once I hear Effie's screaming. I was initially shocked that I could hear Effie's voice through the room and shower door but then I realise how loud Effie can be. I pick up the first things I can find in the dresser, look in the mirror to see any traces of tears – although it's not like my parents would be shocked if I were crying. By the time I got out everyone, including Justice and Tatiana, are halfway through their conversations.

As I walk to the table, I notice that things seem normal. No one seems happy. But no one seems sad either. Everyone's talking, possibly trying to distract themselves. The atmosphere around me makes me wonder whether I should inform them about the engagement. I decide to delay it for a while, although deep down I know that I will need to tell them soon. I keep my head down for most of the conversation, avoiding any eye contact with anyone, especially Keeth. However, Keeth doesn't try to talk either. Maybe he understands that I would like to be alone. But I know that Keeth probably wants to know why I was so distracted during the interview.

Effie tells us that the recaps of the interview will begin. I refuse but Effie tells me it will only be half an hour or so. I resist the urge to snap back at her as I take my seat on the couch. I witness myself being mocked by Caesar at the fact that I couldn't answer his question. And after that I seem robotic, almost, only moving when I had to answer a question. I seemed like I was lost and detached. A couple of tears did manage to be caught on camera, however, I wiped them as soon as it left my eye. In addition to that, I watch Keeth cover for me, extending my short answers to make it sound less absurd and strange. I manage to watch through most of the interview, cringing at my answers and tone but smiling at the beautiful tone played by Keeth during the interview – the one I didn't pay attention to at the time. As Keeth plays I am seen to be staring into the distance – at nothing. I seem lost. Far away from everyone else. Alone.

Then it happens. Caesar tells me to sing and I stand there – frozen. As though I wasn't expecting that. Or that I didn't even hear what he said. My tears, the ones I knew were definitely flowing down my cheek at that point, are not seen, much to my surprise and relief. Murmurs began at that point, people confused about why I wasn't singing.

It was then Keeth stood up and walked towards the piano and began to play the tune of the love song I sang. I watch as I magically come out of my frozen state, confused or shocked about the music, but then my face settles as I turn around to look at Keeth. The one thing I admire is the reassuring and warm smile Keeth gave me in order to encourage me. My heart melts instantly at the sight of his smile, but straightaway I feel a weird ache in my stomach, which restricts my breathing slightly. I take inhale deeply. It's as though a ton of bricks has been swallowed, weighing me down. I shift uncomfortably, especially once I begin singing the song. I feel as though the lyrics of the love songs are taunting me, pointing out my mistakes, pointing out the fact that I have betrayed Keeth and the love he has for me. As the song goes by I feel the tears pricking in my eyes, and when it gets to the end of the chorus my heart isn't able to take it as I heave myself off the sofa and run towards the roof, wiping my tears.

"Ashlyn." I hear Keeth call out, but I continue running. There is shuffling behind me but then the sound is blocked as the door closes. The cold hits me like a rock as I rub my arms, trying my best to warm myself up. I lean on the ledge and stare out at the lights of the Capitol, all shimmering brightly. I let my tears flow freely as my eyes fixate on the brief darkness in between some lights. Nothing goes through my mind. Suddenly, I feel a hand on my shoulder, causing me to shake slightly at the shock. I wipe my tears quickly before turning around to see Haymitch. He looks at me hard and serious, making me feel slightly uncomfortable, but it soon relaxes. He looks away and leans on the ledge beside me, taking a swig at his alcohol.

"Want some?" Haymitch asks as he brings the glass bottle near me. I push it back.

"You know what happened the last time I was drunk." I state.

"That happened because you don't know your limits." He states. "You drank way too much. And then you went and started shouting. You were a mess."

"What do you want Uncle?" I ask, the irritation in my tone clearly evident.

"Relax." Haymitch says, before taking another swig. "And by the way your singing was beautiful. It covered up your mistakes."

"I don't want to talk about it." I say.

"What happened out there? You're not like that. You're like your dad. Really good at interviews." Haymitch says.

"Like I said in the interview. I was just tired." I say.

"You can lie to the Capitol, but not to me." Haymitch says. I look down at my feet, trying to avoid eye contact. "What's wrong, Ash?"

"I-I, um, it's-" I try to speak but the words don't come out of the mouth – or should I say the truth. I want to tell him, I really do but it doesn't work. I sigh. "It's nothing Uncle. Really." Haymitch looks at me sceptically before nodding and walking away. I take a deep breath and stare back at the city, with the ache in my stomach returning.

* * *

In the morning, I am woken up by a nightmare, which happens to be close to when I hear Effie screeching near my door. I sigh, heavily, and trudge to the shower, not spending long. I pick the first things I find in my chest of drawers which are a blue shirt and shorts. Before I turn the door knob I take a deep breath preparing myself for whatever's going to happen.

After taking consecutive deep breaths before opening the door and heading towards the dining room. Everyone apart from Effie is present, although I do not question it as I fill my plate and take a seat, however I, am soon informed that Effie has gone to get our itinerary. Most of breakfast passes in silence, with me mostly playing with my food, not being able to eat – especially with the ache in my stomach. Mum sees this as she asks me why I'm not eating. I am about to answer when Panem's anthem sounds from the television. All heads whip towards the television, all with confused expressions. The only answer to the sudden playing of Panem's anthem is if there is a mandatory and emergency announcement.

Everyone around me immediately gathers in front of the television but I stay put. I know what this announcement is for. Dad gets up and pulls me to the couch, much to my dismay but I don't fight it. Unfortunately, I end up sitting next to Keeth. The ache in my stomach grows as the anthem soon stops and Caesar is seen on screen. In his hand is an invitation – probably the engagement invitation which would've reached all Capitolites – all important ones. The invitations is a light pink, one that can pass of as white, and on the back has something that reminds everyone of Snow – a white rose. This has obviously been designed by Aquilo, there to purposely taunt not only me but Mum and Dad too.

"As you can see, in my hand is an invitation that has just been delivered." Caesar says, displaying the invite. "It is from the President's mansion. This seems exciting, doesn't it folks?" A chorus of 'yes' is heard, followed by an uproar of cheers and applause. "Maybe this will reveal the reason behind the extension of the Victors' visit." I sense everyone around me looking around, all wondering what the invitation is about. But my eyes stay on the screen, however, from the corner of my eyes I can see Haymitch look at me sceptically. He probably senses my anxiety at the news. "Well, I'm not going to keep up this suspense any longer. Are you ready?" He asks and in response he gets cheers. "Okay, okay. So in my hand is an invitation for the engagement of our honorary President, Aquilo Snow's son, Marcus Snow."

"What?" Keeth says, immediately. "Aquilo has a son."

"I think Aquilo kept him hiding to avoid attention." Dad says.

"That's not my concern. My concern is his fiancé. I wonder who the poor girl is." Mum says and Haymitch chuckles loudly.

"Probably some Capitol girl." Haymitch says. If only, I had the time to tell them, now that I realise how much it will hurt when they will find out it's me. It's just then when Effie walks into the room, with the same invitation in hand.

"Want to know who his fiancé is?" Caesar asks again. "And the lucky girl is..." he says, then looking down at the invitation. "This is unbelievable...the girl is the Victor of the 77th Hunger Games, the daughter of the legendary star-crossed lovers, Ashlyn Mellark."

Silence.

Just silence.

I don't dare look up from the television. I don't dare let my eyes meet anyone around me. I feel Keeth stiffen next to me. I can sense my parents fuming and Haymitch's eyes boring into me, looking at me with disbelief. Everything after that happens too quickly to even understand. Haymitch jumps from his seat, walks towards me, grabs my wrist and pulls me along towards the roof. I hear a couple of footsteps behind me but I don't look back, not until we are up on the roof and Haymitch let's go of my wrist, making me face everyone – Mum, Dad and Keeth. Haymitch backs off slightly and Mum comes in front of me, anger and sadness dominating the expression in her eyes. Tears threaten to escape her eyes, and have already done so with mine. She grabs my upper arms violently and shakes me.

"Are you crazy, Ashlyn?" Mum screams, tears spilling from her eyes. "What were you thinking?" She yells. "You won't survive one day there." I don't say anything. I just look into her eyes, the pain probably evident. "Have you lost your mind?" She screams again and that's when all my emotions are let loose, like an untied blown up balloon getting let loose.

"Yes, I've lost my mind!" I scream, causing Mum's grip on me to lighten. "Yes I'm out of my mind. Yes, I'm crazy." I yell. "I'm out of my mind and crazy for trying to save my brother's life." I scream. The shock on Mum's face is not hidden as she takes several steps back until she bumps into Dad who wraps his arms around Mum.

"Rye." She whispers.

"Not only Rye." I say. "Everyone I love."

That's when I tell them everything about the deal.

"And did you not think to tell us any of this." Haymitch shouts as he throws his glass of alcohol on the ground, causing it to shatter into millions of pieces.

"I felt like I could solve it myself." I tell him.

"And look how that turned out to be." Haymitch says. Anger surges through me.

"What would you have done anyway?" I shout. "Aquilo's smarter than Snow. And more brutal. There's no way to escape this." I say, defeated. "I just have to accept this fate." I say turning to face the city.

"This isn't your fate, Ash." Keeth says walking towards me. "I'm not giving up on you."

Keeth's eyes have welled up as he looks at me. I can clearly see the pain in his eyes as he tries to convince me that everything will be fine. Almost subconsciously, my quivering hand makes its way to Keeth's face as I cup his cheek.

"Forget me, Keeth." I tell him. "Forget me, it's for your own good." Keeth shakes his head as his hands are placed on my upper arms. "Let go of me Keeth. Find someone else. You're a great person, anyone would be lucky to get you."

"That person won't be you, Ash." He tells me. I look down at my feet. "No one in this world can ever be you."

"Don't you get it, Keeth!" I scream. "In a few months, I will be married to someone else. And there's no escaping this."

"Yes, there is, Ash." Keeth tells me. "You won't need to marry him. We'll come up with something."

"I can't take this risk." I say, shaking my head. "My brother's life is at stake. All the people I love. Their life is at risk."

"Ashlyn, don't you understand. There's a rebellion. There will be a rebellion. And if you refuse Aquilo won't be able to do anything." Keeth tries to convince.

"Rebellion." I say. "We don't even know if there will be a rebellion or if it will be successful." From the corner of my eye, I can see the shock on my parents' face, who do not know about the planning of the rebellion.

"Sometimes we need to take a chance." Keeth says. I shake my head as I turn away from him slightly.

"Not when it comes down to your family." I say.

"Bu-" Keeth begins to say but I cut him off.

"But of course you won't understand the importance of families." I say, coldly but as soon as the words slip through my mouth, I regret it and I turn around to see the damage my harsh words have caused. It was just all my anger – anger not specifically caused by anything, just the situation – which caused those brutal words to escape. I would never say that to Keeth intentionally because I know how this subject hurts him. Keeth looks at me harshly, anger and pain aggravating in him. "I-I-I don't know, um, I didn't mean to." I say, fumbling with my words.

"Forget it, Ashlyn." He says, coldly before turning on his heel and walking off. In defeat, I collapse to the ground, drawing my knees to my chest. Mum and Dad run up to me and crouch down, one on each side of me.

"I don't know what to do, Mum." I cry. "I've lost everything."

* * *

I spend most of the day in my room, missing lunch due to the loss of appetite. I don't do anything, however. I just sit still and frozen. The only time and I come out of my frozen stance is when Dad pulls me out of bed towards the dining room for dinner, much to my dismay. Everyone's at the table but no one speaks, at least until I arrive, which is when everyone starts to pick up normal conversations. I know why they're doing so and despite knowing I don't respond and neither does Keeth, who also silently consumes his food. During our dinner the Panem anthem plays again and the television turns on. All our heads turn again to see the screen in hope that the situation changes and I am safe, but I don't even let any hope grow inside me because I know how much it will hurt when my hope is shattered.

"These pictures have just arrived, showing the relationship between the President's son, Marcus Snow and famous Victor Ashlyn Mellark."

On the screen are pictures of Marcus and I walking in District 12, his arm around my waist and him kissing my cheek. My face is expressionless, neither showing discomfort or disgust or happiness. The angle of the shot is not high at all, which makes me wonder whether this was captured by a camera on a building or by someone. And that's when I realise it is all part of Aquilo's plan to make it seem like I approve of this relationship – this confirmation mainly for the Districts – and that we are happy together.

"This picture is from District 12, taken just a few weeks ago." I see Keeth clench his fists tightly. I also sense the anger amongst everyone at the dinner table. I shift uncomfortably as I continue to eat my dinner, trying to suppress my rage and sadness. I breath heavily trying to control my emotions. However, that doesn't work when the reporter says, "Don't they make such a romantic couple."

That's when I stand up abruptly, sending my chair flying backwards, take a glass in my hand, run up to the television before throwing the glass at the television angrily.

"You won, Aquilo!" I scream, before shattering just like the glass into a mess. "You've broken me! You've ruined my life! I hate you!" I scream before collapsing to the floor. The first person that runs to me is surprisingly Keeth, who crouches down next to me and whispers consoling words in my ear like 'I'm here," and 'Nothing will happen.' I grab Keeth shirt as a ball in my fist and lay my head on his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. Soon everyone else joins me by my side, trying to console me. That's when I feel the warmth from Keeth disappear as I realise he is letting go of me and is walking away. I reach out and grab his arm.

"Don't leave me." I beg, softly. Keeth doesn't turn to look at me but squeezes my hand and then let's go. He hasn't forgiven me. And why would he, after what I've said to him? I deserve this. I know I deserve this. Yet, I wish I didn't. I wish that Keeth weren't angry, despite the fact that I was wrong. It's selfish. But for a person whose life is about to be ruined, selfishness isn't wrong.

After a while Dad picks me up and takes me to my room so I can sleep, however, sleep comes very difficultly. When I finally do fall off to sleep I am disturbed by someone opening the door slowly. The faint light slipping through the open door wakes me up but I don't move. I can hear faint footsteps, as though someone's trying to tiptoe. I keep my eyes closed. Whoever the person is stops beside the bed and then kisses my forehead. The warmth and love of the person instantly tells me it's Keeth, but I still don't move. I can't bear the thought of Keeth leaving me and I know that if I say something he will go away from me. I cherish the moment we have as his lips linger on my forehead. He caresses my cheek gently and then makes his way out of the door. All I can think about at that moment is how much I'll miss Keeth. This thought drowns me back into the sea of nightmares.

* * *

After eating breakfast in the morning, my prep team arrive to get me ready for the engagement. As soon as they close the door of my room they all squeal and cheer for me before congratulating me. The go on and on about how lucky I am to be with the President's son and how I will be the most famous and richest people. I just satisfy myself by rolling my eyes rather than shouting at them or snapping at them, especially because behind all the words I see a childlike innocence. It reminds me of how young infants think everything everyone around them say is right and follow it blindly.

The prep team take hours to get my make-up and hair ready, which is after the couple of hours they spent on scrubbing me down, waxing and lathering. Once they are done I look at the mirror. Half of my hair is taken back, messily, and clipped at the back. The rest of the hair is curled and cascades down my back. My make-up is primarily gold. The eye shadow and nail polish both. My lips are a light pink. Overall, I'd say that my make-up isn't extravagant, much to my astonishment.

Soon my prep team leave and Justice arrives, carrying a large black bag, most likely containing the dress I'm going to wear today. As soon as he steps into the room I attack him, craving for his support through a warm hug. Once I let go he gives me a sad smile.

"Did everyone in the Capitol see that news broadcast?" I ask, despite knowing that they most probably did.

"It was mandatory. It came up on every screen in the Capitol." He says. "And probably the Districts." I sigh, knowing that the Districts hate me, as per Aquilo's plan.

"I guess they had to find out sooner or later." I say.

"I saw the television outside." Justice says. "The one that's broken."

"I broke it. I was just really angry and-" I begin to say.

"And you imagined the television was Aquilo, didn't you?" Justice says with a smirk. I give him a look before laughing. He soon joins me.

"I wish it was." I tell him.

Justice tells me to close my eyes as he helps me into the dress. The dress seems heavier than other dresses Justice has made and it takes some time for me to get used to. Justice makes a few adjustments before allowing me to open my eyes. When I open my eyes I am shocked. The dress is short, about mid-thigh. The dress is white however when looked at first it seems primarily gold due to the gold embroidery on the dress. From the chest to the top of the dress crystals are encrusted, giving an extravagant look. The top of the dress is secured as the neckline carries on to the back of my neck, which is also crystal encrusted. There's a gap allowing people to see my skin and then another portion of cloth on my upper back encrusted with crystals followed by the gold embroidery. This dress is too heavy and complex to be one of Justice's designs.

"You had no say did you?" I ask.

"I was visited by the President's son. He told me to make sure you dress looks rich and expensive enough." He tells me. "Sorry."

"No, Justice. The dress is beautiful but it's just that it's not me. But of course, _he_ won't understand that."

To finish off the look, Justice makes me wear golden coloured high heels.

* * *

When we get to Aquilo's mansion, we see that most of the guests have arrived but as soon as we enter everyone stop what they're doing and all their eyes are on me. Almost too dramatically, a path is formed as the guests move back. At the end of this path is Marcus who's dressed in a black suit and a gold tie. His hair is tamed and gelled back like it was a few days ago, again making him look sophisticated. I plaster a love-struck expression as I walk up to him. He meets me halfway as he wraps his arm around my waist and leads me to an elevated platform stage. His arm never leads my waist even after we turn to face the guests.

The decorations catch me off guard at once. The whole place is decorated with lilies and roses. I gulp slightly picturing all the things I associate with them. Roses remind me of Aquilo. And lilies, they remind me of Jesse's mother. Aquilo's not leaving any stone unturned to taunt me, to make me feel weak.

"You look gorgeous, in this dress." Marcus whispers in my ears, causing me to shudder. In his voice, I hear traces of evil and wickedness.

"Thanks." I tell him. "I heard you helped design it."

"Because I knew you'd like my choice." Marcus tells me and I suppress the urge to roll my eyes.

After a while Aquilo comes onto his balcony, overlooking the party.

"Welcome, welcome everyone. I am so glad you could be part of this joyous occasion of the engagement of my dearest son, Marcus, and his girlfriend and Victor of the 77th Hunger Games, Ashlyn Mellark." Aquilo says a few more words and then informs everyone about the wedding date before the rings arrive.

Two girls, who both climb on the platform on opposite sides, carry a plush red cushion and on top of it is the ring. I am asked to go first as I pick up the ring, which is a silver band with a diamond studded streak on. I take his left hand in my left hand. My hand shakes violently as I slide the ring across his finger. I don't look up at Marcus, I just plaster a smile on my face and look back at the guests.

Soon I feel Marcus take my left hand. He has my ring in his hand. It is a huge ring with a thick band, studded with diamonds fully and it ends with a huge diamond in the middle. The sight of the ring takes me back to the jewellers in District 12 a few weeks ago when Marcus asked me to pick a ring. I remember the simple ring I chose, the one I adored. I remember Marcus rejecting my choice and picking the same ring. It was for me. I was the 'special' person he said would like it better if he bought the ring from 12. This was the ring that I didn't like and he knew that but he still chose it. He knew it was for me and still didn't consider my preferences. How will I spend my life with him? He slides the ring onto my ring finger and instantly feel the coldness of it. It's as cold as ice, slicing through my finger, causing me pain. There's an uproar of cheers and applauses.

And then all of a sudden petals fall from the ceiling all around us two. That's when Marcus pulls me into him. He places his hand on my waist and reluctantly I wrap my arms around my neck. I know where this is going. I feel a pit of ache and pain in my stomach as he leans in and places his lips on mine. Disgust spreads through me as he deepens the kiss but I try to control myself by thinking of Keeth. Eventually I cannot take it and I slower the kiss and pull away naturally. I turn to face the guests again who are cheering us on.

Almost subconsciously my right-hand fiddles with the ring, trying to lower the feeling of heaviness on my finger but it doesn't work. It weighs down on me. It's a burden. And it always will be.

I look back to the crowd and the first person I see is the brown haired, blue eyed boy who has saved my life many times. The one I love. My saviour stares at me for a long time, making my insides melt, making the ache in my stomach disappear, making me smile – genuinely. A strange bliss flows through my body at the thought that he has forgiven me, that he won't leave. But then he turns around, abruptly, and walks away from me and disappears into the crowd.

I watch my saviour leave me alone.

* * *

 **This chapter was very painful. It was very sad. But it needed to be done to move the story on.**

 **Some may think that Keeth seemed a bit OOC but I felt that anyone would react like that when they find out that their love their life has to marry someone else. If you have any comments about that please tell me through your reviews. I'd like to know. How did you like Ashlyn's dress? It took me a while to figure it out. Forgive me if anything about the engagement was wrong. I have never been to one so I had to rely on the internet. Sorry.**

 **In penance for not updating for long I am offering something:**

 **You can ask any question to me through your reviews and I will answer it. If you are a guest it will be answered in the A/N in the next chapter. You can ask me anything you want unless of course it involves me revealing something absolutely major. But I will see. Please take advantage of this and ask away!**

 **I offered this last time but only a few people took advantage of it, so please ask.**

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	40. Home

**Disclaimer: I sadly do not own the Hunger Games because I am not a genius**.

 **A/N: Sorry for not updating quickly again. I feel like it has become a habit and I apologise deeply. So to compensate I am producing longer chapters. Just for you.**

 **Thanks to my reviewers. I appreciate the response. However I only got 5 reviews. Let's get more reviews for this chapter shall we? SO enjoy chapter 40 and treat me with reviews**.

* * *

 **Home**

The hours of the engagement party were excruciating. Time was staggering by, while I was wishing for the complete opposite. My ears were tired of hearing the same congratulations, the same general comment praising my luck and praising how good we look together. And all those hours were filled with spending time with Marcus, something I could barely live by. He was so dominating and spoilt, just like how I expected him to be, after all he was the son of Aquilo. After the moment Keeth and I saw each other, I did not see him. He was probably in some corner, by himself. How I wish to be all alone, rather than being crowded around by all these people.

But it was finally over. At least for now.

All of us are being taken to board the train to District 12. Finally, I get to go home. To the woods. To meet my friends, or should I say friend after whatever happened on Amethyst's birthday before the Victory Tour and now the engagement. Now, I seriously doubt if Jesse wants to be my friend. Maybe he will stop talking to me like Amethyst did. There's one thing I'm not looking forward to and that is meeting Aiden Langston again. After finding out that he was assisting Aquilo in emotionally breaking me, I never want to see him again. He knows I don't want to talk to him but he doesn't know why – however he can probably take a wild guess. And now that I am going back to District 12, I couldn't want anything more than a few moments of peace, away from all these complications, all this trouble and all this stress. I want to be away from violence, from bloodshed and from death and the first step to that is going away from the Rebellion. It's not that I am of any use anyway, now that the Districts hate me.

As soon as the doors of the train close and the movement begins, I exhale deeply, the relief clearly noticed. No one speaks. Everyone goes off to their own room, thinking about the day. And I do the same. I enter the room, the fatigue weighing me down. Despite the amount of exhaustion, I feel, I decide it is best to get rid of the dress I am wearing. It takes a while but I manage to take it off and change into my usual shorts and a shirt. I collapse onto the bed with the tiredness taking over me, sending me into a deep slumber.

* * *

 _It's my wedding day. I stand at the altar in a long, white dress, white gloves, white veil and a bouquet of flowers. I stand facing a man, whose face is hidden, is wearing a black suit and white shirt. The crowd gathered in front of us cheer and yell 'congratulations'. I stare at my husband, love struck as I take his hands in mine. That's when I see his face. The one I love. Keeth. He gives me the smile. The smile that just makes my day._

 _"_ _I love you." I whisper. At my words he leans in slowly and I close my eyes. As our lips touch, my hands go up to his cheek. I part my lips slightly as he deepens the kiss, taking my bottom lip into his. I run my hands through his hair. Soon we part as we run out of breath. I keep my eyes closed as I sense his proximity and feel his breath on my face._

 _"_ _I love you too." He whispers and that's when I open my eyes to see Marcus Snow. I push him away from me immediately._

 _"_ _Stay away from me!" I scream. "Stay away!" But he doesn't listen to me. He makes advances and I take steps back, trying to get away from him._

 _"_ _There's no way you can escape." He tells me._

* * *

My eyes open widely to see the darkness of the room again. I am drowned in my own sweat and tears and I am panting. I close my eyes again, trying to control myself, but all I can see is Marcus' face. Again I open my eyes, not wanting to see his face again. I slide out of bed, deciding that I cannot face the nightmares.

Defeated, I hop out of bed and head for the last car of the train, where you are usually able to look out onto the tracks and the scenery. However, at the moment there is only darkness except for a ray of light shining into the car from the moon. I stare out into the darkness surrounding me, trying to find comfort. But soon I see Marcus walking towards me from the darkness. He disappears and then another walks out from the darkness.

"Stay away from me!" I scream. "I hate you!" I take the nearest cushion and throw it at him but he doesn't disappear. "I hate you!" I scream again, this time taking of my engagement ring. "I don't want to be your girlfriend , fiancé or wife!" I shout, throwing the ring at him. I close my eyes, praying that he's gone and away. I take slow and deep breaths trying to control myself and avoiding any panic. But when I feel a hand on my shoulder, shaking me I shudder.

"Go away!" I scream again. Another hand is placed on my shoulder shaking me into my senses.

"Ashlyn." He says. "Listen." He says. The voice. The voice causes me to open my eyes leading me to see Keeth, worry written on his face clearly.

"Keeth." I sigh, relieved at the fact that he's with me. I stare at his face for a few seconds, making out all the features of him and identifying them. But I am interrupted by Keeth, who wraps his arms around me and pulls me into a hug. At first I'm shocked but I soon reciprocate as I wrap my arms around him and pull him closer to me, trying to feel the warmth and security I always feel around him.

"I heard you shouting." Keeth whispers in my ear. "What happened?"

"I could see my dreadful fate get closer." I whisper. "I'm not ready for it."

"But you're still going through with it." Keeth whispers.

"I have to." I whisper. "I have no choice."

"You know it will hurt me, seeing you suffering." He whispers. I feel a damp patch on my shoulder, which tells me that Keeth's crying. I pull away from the hug and look directly at him. "I can't lose you. Not again, Ashlyn."

"Maybe its fate, Keeth." I say, not believing any word I utter. "Maybe we're not meant to be."

"Not even fate can pull us apart." Keeth says, clinging on to hope. I sigh and take a seat on the seats looking out into the darkness. I feel Keeth sit beside me. There is a silence between us. Usually, the silence is comforting, but at the moment I feel the need to say something. However, Keeth beats me to it.

"Here's your ring." Keeth tells me, holding the burden in his hand. I shove his hand away.

"I don't want it." I say. "It hurts."

"You'll need to wear it." He says. "The camera crew will be there to film our homecoming and the would definitely be focusing on your ring."

"I just can't. I can't wear this ring. I want to just throw it out of this train and never see it again." I cry. Keeth's hand doesn't budge. I sigh. "Fine. I'll wear it, but only in front of the cameras. Any time after that is a time when this ring is out of sight."

"The ring's a bit too big, don't you think?" He points out, examining the ring. I smirk at him pointing out the obvious.

"Yeah. And it weighs down on your arm a bit too." I tell him. "Of course, _he_ doesn't think my opinion matters. After all, he's just some stuck-up and snobbish spoilt brat, who doesn't value simplicity." I think of the ring immediately. I wonder if it's still there. I sigh. "Or my opinion."

"He's foolish." Keeth says. "For not understanding how important you are." He says, sliding closer to me. He caresses my cheek gently with his right hand, immediately sending a blaze down my cheek. His light but lingering touch on my cheek gives birth to a hunger within me as I edge closer to him too, leaving our faces just millimetres apart. I feel him breathing onto me, the hot air tickling my face. I close my eyes as his lips touch mine, so softly as though I were a fragile piece of glass that would shatter into several pieces if he were to put more force. However, soon this sweet kiss soon heats up as he deepens the kiss. My hands find his hair as I tug on it. This kiss made me feel loved, adored, and made me just want more, but then images of the same night appeared in my content mind, making me realise that I wasn't being fair to Keeth by encouraging him and leading him on. This thought makes me back away, leaving Keeth shocked and heartbroken. Immediately, I avert my eyes, trying to avoid the sadness in Keeth's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Keeth. I…I just don't want…don't want to make you think that…that our future…together-" I hesitate, trying to find the best words.

"This is about the wedding, isn't it?" Keeth asks.

"You and I just won't be able to be together." I tell him, heartbroken myself. I try to pull myself together as I carry on. "It hurts me too, Keeth. I can't imagine life without my saviour. After all we've been through, I know it is hard, but I don't want your life to stop because of me."

"We've been through his, Ashlyn." He tells me. "And I told you that I'm not giving up on you, even after your wedding, I will wait because I know that we are meant to be."

"But it will just break your heart – our hearts- when-" I try and argue but he interrupts by placing his right hand on mine. That's when I notice a clenched left fist. He's been holding something in his hand for a while and I became curious. But instead I look down at our laced fingers – so secure and strong – telling me that our love is too strong to be broken, by anyone. But I just can't encourage him. I can't lead him on. "Keeth, why don't you understand?" I shout. "I can't escape from their plan!"

"Why are you just giving up, Ashlyn?" Keeth shouts at the same volume as I did. "You're a fighter, so why don't you fight against Aquilo? And Marcus?"

"I can't go against them!" I scream. "Don't you understand that lives are at stake? People will die."

"Do you honestly think that I want people dead?" Keeth shouts. "I'm glad I know that's what you think of me."

"No. No. No. Not at all. I just want you to know that one wrong step, one wrong decision, can ruin lives."

"And I want you to understand that Marcus is awful. I've seen the way he controls you. It's disgusting." He tells me. He's right but I still need to go through with this. "You'll regret this for the rest of your life."

"I thought you'll understand me." I shout. "I thought that you will support me through this." I take a step back. "But I guess I don't know you as well as I thought I did." I say the last part as a whisper.

"Yeah, maybe we don't." Keeth says. We stare at each other coldly, before Keeth let's out a loud sigh. "Why do we always end up arguing?" Keeth wonders quietly, possibly only limiting his question to himself, however I catch on. As he said it he rubs his temple, clearly showing the stress he is feeling. But my eyes don't soften.

"Maybe because we don't understand each other." I tell him, resulting in Keeth to look up at me shocked that I responded to something he thought I didn't hear.

"And like you said, maybe we don't know each other as much as we thought we did." Keeth reminds me.

"Are we seriously doubting everything that exists between us?" I ask. "Especially at a time like this." I add, emphasising our stupidity.

"Maybe it's times like these when we come back to reality." Keeth says. That was not what I was expecting – at least from Keeth. I was expecting him to convince me and tell me that we are strong and nothing can tear us apart, but I was wrong. But I have been wrong about him for a while now. I don't agree with him. Not even a word, but I don't tell him or let it show on my face. I didn't want to humiliate myself.

"Okay." I say, keeping my answer short. "Thank you for your time." I say bitterly before walking out graciously, keeping my head held high.

* * *

We pull into the District 12 station half a day later than we should've. We would've arrived the night before but the reporters wanted a large crowd welcoming us, which would not have been possible at night. They also wanted good lighting to be able to film us properly and the darkness would not have helped.

Justice made me wear a sleeveless white lace dress that was went up to my knees. He designed knee-high laced leather boots, which covered up most of legs and protected them from the harsh winds of winter. On top of the dress I wore a short furry leather jacket that was not buttoned up, specially asked by Justice so everyone can see the dress. This is one of few of the dresses that has been designed for me that I think I'll actually wear again. I like the simplicity of the dress. My hair is pulled by in a half ponytail.

I stand near the doors waiting for the train to halt, when Keeth walks into the compartment. I haven't talked to him after our argument. In fact I haven't even seen him. I have been having my meals in my room to avoid him. I don't react to Keeth's arrival. It was like no one even entered the compartment. When the train finally halts, we stand up straighter and make sure we look presentable for the cameras when Haymitch calls me.

"Your ring." Haymitch says and instinctively I look down to my left hand and realise I don't have my ring on. "Where is it?" My mind is blank. I don't know where the ring is. I try to recall but nothing comes up.

I was about to turn to my room when Keeth holds up the ring in front of me. I sigh, the relief flooding through me prominent. That's when I remember refusing to take the ring back from Keeth. I hold out my right hand to get the ring back, but Keeth takes my left hand into his and slips the ring onto my finger. His hand lingers slightly before he lets go. I stare into his blue eyes not wanting to be the first to give up and look away. Why is he doing this to me? First he kisses me, then he doubts what we feel for each and now he does this.

As we stare at each other, I'm not sure whether we want dominance or we just can't look away from each other. Maybe both.

None of us want to look away but the sound of the train doors opening force us to as we get onto the platform. We are ambushed by reporters and cameras but I ignore all of them as I make my way to Rye, who welcomes me with a grin and a warm embrace. I hold him for a long time, cherishing these moments when both of us are safe. And now with the wedding, I know he is safe for now.

The reporters ask all sorts of questions like: are you excited for your wedding; since when are you in a relationship with Marcus; what happened to Keeth. I ignore all of them as we walk out of the train station. But on the way I notice red hair and a pair of blue eyes and I know these can only belong to her. She came? She's not angry? Maybe she wants to talk to me. She hasn't been for a month after she thought I called the Peacekeepers over to her birthday party. I didn't waste any time as I ran up to her and wrapped my arms around her, which she returned. This action filled my heart with joy. I got her back.

"Amethyst." I cried. "I missed you."

"I'm sorry." She said. I wasn't sure why until she told me. "He confessed it was him who called the Peacekeepers, not you."

"Who?" I ask.

"Aiden." She whispered in my ear. It doesn't shock me. But I feel a bit stupid to not realise it when I found out Aiden's plan. "He didn't give me a reason. Even when I asked." I don't respond to her last statement because Jesse soon joins us. I take him in an embrace. He apologises in my ear too, but I know this is about the engagement. I look at him, telling him that we'll talk about this later. As we all walk further I see Aiden walking toward me. I pick up my pace to avoid him but he gets to me anyway.

"Ashlyn." He calls out. "I need to tell you something."

"Don't. You. Dare." I say, keeping a smile on my face, trying to hide the fact that I'm talking. I walk past him, trying to forget the fact that I even saw him.

We all walk as a group, including Keeth, toward the Mayor's mansion for the dinner. This would be followed by the Harvest Festival tomorrow.

One thing I notice as we pass crowds and crowds of people are the glares I receive. People hate me. That was something they were making extremely clear. I mean they think I'm betraying them after all by marrying the President's son. But I do see a few people who look at me with pity. That is those who know me and know that I would never do that. That would be the people in the Hob and some people at school. Another thing I notice are the girls practically drooling over Keeth. This didn't exist before the Victory Tour. Maybe it's the fact that since I'm taken, it is confirmed that Keeth is available. But whatever it is, it makes me feel uncomfortable.

Before, I wouldn't have minded the fact that the dinner is in the Mayor's house, but now I fell Aiden's presence everywhere. And it disturbs me because it makes me wonder what else Aiden could do if Aquilo told him to.

The days are filled with smiles, meals, questions, answers, dancing and music. I wasn't able to spend a lot of time with friends. A lot of it was spent with guests. It wasn't something I preferred but it was something I had to go through. Aiden tried to approach me several times throughout the two days but I always managed to walk off without making it seem too obvious that I was avoiding him.

When I got home after all the flurry, I saw another letter with cursive writing and a seal on it on the table under a fancy showpiece. By now I could guess who this letter came from and it took everything within me to not throw the letter away but I wanted to know what it said.

 _Dear Ashlyn,_

 _Congratulations on your engagement. I can see that this wedding will bring happiness across the whole of Panem._

Really, I think to myself.

 _Although Aquilo has made it quite clear that this wedding has not been forced on you, I know that you don't want this wedding. And how do I know? Well, because I'm the one who advised the President to do so. I know it seems cruel and unfair, but this wedding can benefit everyone in Panem, even if you don't know it already. Just trust me when I say that there can be a rebellion and it will be because of you._

 _And don't forget my words from the last letter. Don't forget that your escape is from District 12._

 _PU - Anonymous._

Anger and confusion spread through my body, which makes it difficult for me to react. First he asks me to trust him and then tells me he it was his idea for the wedding. He has put my life at stake because this wedding would supposedly help everyone in Panem. How is it even possible? People hate me and they wouldn't have their unity any more so I don't understand how this will help. Sometimes I really doubt whether this person really wants to help me. His first letter really helped me in the Games, telling me about the dangerous water sources, but this makes me want to doubt his intentions. As always I start up the fireplace and throw the letter in, watching the paper turn to ash.

* * *

A week after the Harvest Festival Haymitch takes me to the shed for another Rebellion meeting. By the time we get there everyone's already settled down in their seats around the table, on which a couple of items sit. I notice Aiden's presence in the meeting and I supress the urge to spill everything about him and Aquilo at the meeting. But I don't want to say these things in front of Mr Langston. I don't have the right to say these things to Mr Langston. But maybe if I tell Haymitch, he'll tell Mr Langston. At least it won't be me. As soon as Haymitch and I take our seat, Mr Langston commences.

"The news of the wedding has come as a shock to a lot of us." Mr Langston begins, looking at me specifically. "And can be seen as a setback for the Rebellion." After a long pause he continues. "The Districts no longer see Ashlyn as a symbol for anything and in fact can be seen as a traitor." He speaks as though I am not even present in the room. I shift uncomfortably at the use of the word 'traitor' causing everyone to look at me. "But we can still convince the Districts to rebel. We will just need the people to be convinced by people around them. Like people they see every day. It could be a friend or a colleague. It leaves a larger impact. We need to really highlight the atrocities of the Capitol. We need to give them the strength and courage to fight and the only way to do that is to show that they will have support. We will also spread the news that this wedding is being forced upon Ashlyn. Even though some people may not be convinced, it can help." I notice the way he says that he will 'spread the news' that I don't want the wedding. I notice how he's trying to imply that I want the wedding, so I immediately stand up, ready to defend myself.

"Really. You're going to 'spread the news'. You speak as if what your saying's fake. Just to let you know I am definitely not keen on marrying that arrogant, stuck-up spoilt brat." I shout.

"I'm sorry, Ashlyn." Mr Langston apologises. "That was not my intention. Please sit down."

"Anyway, we need to get in more support to spread the word." Mr Langston says and immediately names pop up in my mind.

"I know a few people." I say. "Amethyst Marchand and Jesse Remington. Amethyst can talk to people in town along with people at school. Jesse can talk to people in the Seam and his father at the mines."

Mr Langston seems to be thinking about my suggestions deeply as he doesn't answer for a while, but instead Haymitch does. "That would work. Besides those kids really are determined."

"Everything we have planned so far is the same and soon enough we will come up with an elaborate plan after we coordinate with the other District rebels and District 13." Mr Langston informs us. "However, we do have one problem. Originally we had decided to plan an escape for the arena for the next Games. However, a few sources close to the Capitol informed us off difficulties that would make this breakthrough near to impossible to achieve. We have been told that the Head Gamemaker can no longer make any decisions during the Game without consulting the President or his son. The door to the Control Room is locked by biometrics. The only way the room can be accessed is when Aquilo or his son, Marcus, scans their finger. In addition to that the Head Gamemaker needs permission for every change he makes in the arena and in order to do that Aquilo or Marcus need to insert their password." Mr Langston explains.

It seems like Aquilo is taking extra precautions so that the situation that Snow faced during the 75th Hunger Games would not repeat. He clearly does not want to take any chances for any Head Gamemaker to turn rogue and rebel against the Capitol. I always knew he was smarter than Snow. And now he's proven it.

"Although we won't be able to get the tributes out of the arena, it will be a great distraction that will allow the Districts to rebel." Mr Langston says, causing my blood to boil in rage. So is that it? We just forget about the tributes in the Games and let their sacrifice be a distraction. Isn't that the same as what the Capitol does? They use the Hunger Games as a way to control the Districts. Besides, according to the letter I will most probably be in those Games. However, that isn't my problem. My worry is that if I will be eligible for the reaping, who else will be? Maybe my family members. Maybe my friends. I wouldn't want to watch them go in for their certain death because I'm pretty sure that when Aquilo finds out about the simultaneous uprisings he will make sure all the tributes are dead.

Immediately, I stand up in rage. "So that's it, I suppose. We will just abandon those tributes so they can wait for their death or torture." I say. I understand how it feels to be in the Games. I know how my family would've felt and I don't want 24 other families to go through the same if we have a chance of getting the tribute out. "The whole point of this rebellion is to stop the Games, but we don't make an effort to save those that will soon be stuck in the unfortunate situation."

No one responds to anything I say. "I can't do this anymore." I tell them. "I can't see the death anymore. I have too much at stake and I can't risk it." I breathe. "I am not going to be part of the Rebellion." And with that I walk out of the shed, trying not to run away until the door closes. Once it does, however, I sprint away as fast as I can. I sprint until I hear footsteps behind me, trying to catch up to me, but I don't stop until they pull my elbow, causing me to turn toward them. I watch Aiden try to catch his breath while I begin talking.

"What do you want?" I ask, coldly.

"How can you just give up like that?" Aiden comments. "You need to stop being so selfish and realise that you're not the only one who have the lives of loved ones at stake. We need to support everyone"

"Look who's talking about support." I say.

"What're you talking about?" Aiden asks. Instantly, I pin Aiden against the wall and place my arm against his throat.

"How dare you act so innocent?" I shout. "You have the audacity to plot against me with Aquilo. To trick me. To break me and then act like nothing happened." Aiden sighs, heavily before speaking.

"So you found out." Aiden says.

"I found out the day before the Victory Tour. I heard your conversation." I tell him. "You have no idea how I feel do you? I honestly thought we finally became friends and then you did this. It was so easy for you to agree to plot against me right?"

"I didn't want to do this." He shouts. "But I had to. I had no choice. Just like you have no choice in marrying Marcus." My grip on his lightens as I pull my arm back slightly.

"What do you mean?" I ask, worried about the answer he's going to give.

"Aquilo's captured my mother, Ashlyn."

* * *

 **So, guys. What did you think? I tried to explain a lot about how everything works now in the Capitol because I think it is quite stupid if Aquilo just trusts the Gamemakers straightaway. This makes everything a bit more difficult especially because Ashlyn refused to help.**

 **Also Keeth and Ashlyn's fight. Don't worry about them fighting because we're used to that now. HaHa. I mean their situation is very taxing so I guess it doess affect relationships. I mean we wouldn't expect perfect love would we? And don't worry I think they will get back soon. Not sure when though.**

 **And what do you think about Aiden's mother being captured. Thought it would be nice to show Aiden in a good light and trying to save his mother. I feel sorry for Aiden though and I hope Ashlyn understands him.**

 **Please respond to these point and anything else you liked or disliked about this chapter and any other chapter so far. You are more than welcome to. And I really appreciate them too.**

 **So FOLLOW + FAVOURITE + REVIEW = SMILES :)**


	41. Questions

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own the Hunger Games. Clearly, I'm not the genius that came up with this amazing book.**

 **A/N: Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. I feel terrible. I know I keep doing this to you guys. You are amazing and in return all I give you are late updates. I feel so guilty. But the thing is that I had no time to write due to revision. I've had some of my GCSEs this week as I'm in Year 10 so I do a couple of early entries. Right now there's a gap between my exams so I thought I should update. I know it is not an excuse but still forgive me. And here is Chapter 41. I'm trying to complete this story as quick as possible so I can write the sequel. Now, enough blabbering from me. Here is the next chapter. Read and enjoy...**

* * *

 **Questions**

 _"_ _Aquilo's captured my mother, Ashlyn."_ Aiden says. I look into Aiden's eyes and it doesn't take long to find the sadness and pain in his eyes. In shock and regret I take my arm away from Aiden's neck and take a step back. I've talked to Mrs Langston a couple of times. Like when I went to the jewellery store to buy something for myself or my friends or when I met her in town. She always had a smile on her face, and I don't think I've ever seen her frown or in rage. She would greet everyone she met and would help anyone in need. She was welcoming and would always find the best in someone. I'm surprised no one noticed her absence in the District. I remember realising her absence but I guess I didn't take it too seriously.

"W-w-when?" I ask Aiden.

"During the Games." He tells me. "It was like midnight when Peacekeepers knocked on our door and dragged her away. But I couldn't do anything to protect her." He pauses for some time and then continues.

"We were constantly being informed about Mother but weren't allowed to talk to her. And then after your Games, actually the day after you came for the dinner we received a video at our doorstep. It showed Mother being tied up and tortured. Sh-sh-she had cuts and bruises all over her face. There was even b-b-blood dripping down her face. She seemed so weak. And all she did was scream my name." He gulps and then continues.

"After that I got a call from Aquilo, who told me that he wants to break you emotionally for a deal he had in mind and that I would need to do it for him. Of course I refused at first, especially because of the conversation we had the night before, but then he threatened me with my mother's life. My mother told me while she was being dragged off that I shouldn't give into the Capitol. It was like my heart was torn. In my mind I could hear my mother's words and then her screams. I didn't want to do it and I was going to refuse. That's what my mother would've done. But how could I do that to my mother? I mean how could I just seal her fate. So I accepted. My plan was to fake it or tell Aquilo that you've been ignoring me and I haven't been able to talk to you. I know I was risking a lot but I couldn't hurt you. I mean it wasn't right for me to do so. You just came from the Games. You were distressed about your situation with Keeth. You were open about this to me. I couldn't betray you. But I couldn't betray my mother either, Ashlyn. And every time I saw you I was just so tempted to do what Aquilo asked me to. That's why I kept my distance."

"And that's why you didn't turn up the next day when you said you would." I complete.

"I thought I should keep my distance. It would be for the best. But then came the rebellion meetings. We had to meet a lot. It was inevitable. But I kept my guard. I thought everything was going fine, until I got another call from Aquilo. Aquilo was monitoring my house because, you know, it's bugged. He told me how you haven't come to my house yet as no conversation between us has been recorded and how I haven't even tried to be friends with you. He threatened me again and said if I do this again, all h-he will send back i-i-is a c-c-coffin. I realised that I had no way of escaping this."

"So you asked me to give you piano lessons." I say, beginning to understand what was going on.

"Yeah. That's why I refused when you suggested that Keeth were to give me lessons. The only reason I did that was so our conversations could be monitored. Honestly Ashlyn, I did not intend on following Aquilo's plan. I wasn't going to break you. But whenever Aquilo called I told him that I would do so and assured him it would be soon. I guess you just heard one of the conversations." Aiden sighs.

"Is he going to send Mrs Langston back?" I ask. He shakes his head and gulps before speaking.

"No. According to him I followed the plan, but I guess he was never going to send her back." Aiden says quietly. I don't say anything because I don't think I could think of something to say to help him. "Do you forgive me?"

"No." I tell him. Aiden looks away, disappointed. "There's no need to forgive you when it was never your fault."

"Thanks." He says. Soon a silence falls between us. But it is a calm and soothing one. "When, uh, I mean if you get married to Marcus and you see my mother there, will you take good care of her?" He asks. I place my hand lightly on his.

"I will." I assure him.

This whole situation makes me realise that we are all pawns of the Capitol and Aquilo. We're puppets whose strings are in the hands of the Capitol who control our every movement and determine ones in the future. They snatch our freedom to do anything away. To make our own decisions. All they know to do is oppress us and suffocate us until we give up on breathing.

* * *

Birthday parties used to be the norm in District 12, before the takeover that is. But it wasn't a norm for Aiden. Which is why Aiden's birthday party invitation shocks me. Aiden has never been fond of celebrating his birthday but would always lift the mood of others' special day. So Aiden going all out for his birthday party, like printing invitations and hosting it in the Mayor mansion, gives birth to a mystery. However, this isn't one that is difficult to solve. At least the information Jesse gives me should be enough to figure it out.

Mentally, I thank Jesse for constantly giving me information about the Rebellion planning for the past month, since last month I refused to take part. I didn't ask for the information but I guess he just told me, like I'm meant to know. And that's how both Jesse and Amethyst think. They think I should be part of the Rebellion, especially now that they have been involved. From all the information given by Jesse I know briefly what is going to happen. They are planning on, during the Games, attacking the Peacekeepers during the viewing since all the District has to be present and therefore all the Peacekeepers too. Apparently, a couple of Peacekeepers are already on board with the Rebellion, who are people like Desmond who have been forced into the profession. Those Peacekeepers will send messages to the Capitol saying everything is fine, leading to no suspicion. Food will be rationed and everything will be controlled until the District 13 hovercraft arrives to rescue people. The Capitol won't even realise what's happening. In my opinion the plan seems a bit too hard to achieve but not impossible. Despite this, they refuse to plan out a way to get the tributes out of the arena.

Jesse and Amethyst also told me that they are gaining a lot of support from all the students and miners. This leads me to believe that the birthday party is to convince the people from the town to join. And what a perfect way than a party where everyone is present and music is loud enough to drown out the voices of all of us. The Capitol won't hear us for sure. But the presence of all those people scared me. Their stares and glares makes me feel uncomfortable. People are starting to realise that this wedding was not my idea and Amethyst told everyone that it wasn't me who called the Peacekeepers that day, but it isn't enough. There are still people who look at me like a traitor or betrayer. Those words, traitor and betrayer, have been engraved in my heart. Over the first few weeks of returning back from the Tour people threw stones wrapped in paper with those same words through my window. The first time it happened I cried. Of course it was upsetting. But it soon became a regular thing and I got used to it. Now it's stopped, now that news about the forced wedding is being spread. I'm not ready to face all those people, but I have to go. My entire family's going and in addition to that I'm a Victor and I need to support the Mayor's family.

As I stand outside Aiden's mansion, ready to walk into the party, I smoothen out my maroon, floor-length dress, hoping the night goes well. When I get inside I notice that most of the people have already arrived. I glance around looking for some familiar faces and I sigh in relief when I spot Jesse. I spend most of my time with Jesse, until Aiden cuts his birthday cake. Jesse is immediately called by another friend. I, on the other hand, decide to stay by myself. I stand by an empty table and just fidget with my glass.

"Ash." I hear a voice call out. I see Dad walking up to me. He places a hand on my shoulder. "Why're you by yourself?"

"I guess everyone's busy." I tell him. But, it's just at that moment Jesse returns, proving me wrong.

"Not anymore." Dad says.

As Jesse walks towards me, he decides to pick up Keeth along with him and drag him to the table. Great, I think to myself. At that moment I try and think about how to escape, but there's no way without making it too obvious that I'm avoiding Keeth so I stay put.

"It's a nice party." Jesse says. "Don't you think?"

"It's extravagant." I say but immediately images of Capitol parties enter my mind. "For a District party." I add, leading to Keeth and Dad to chuckle. "Nothing really compares to those parties in the Capitol."

"The music probably would," a high pitched and seductive voice says behind me. I don't even need to turn to know it's Celeste, the true spoilt brat of the District. She's the daughter of a builder who used to travel between Districts taking orders of huge buildings. Of course after Aquilo taking over, things have been a bit slow for them apart from the occasional contracts by the Capitol itself. But I guess those changes haven't really affected her arrogant personality. She's the town flirt. I remember her in school, getting up close to every cute guy in school. But she wasn't ashamed of that fact. Another fact is that she doesn't like me. Previously, her reason was that everyone liked me, not because of my parents, but because of me, but it was something she couldn't digest. I haven't talked to her since the Games and she hasn't taken the initiative either. So her presence makes me wonder about the real reason why she's here.

Celeste turns to look at me. "Ooo. I haven't spoken to you in such a long time, Ashlyn." She says, taking me into an embrace. I freeze at her advance. This has never happened before. "Oh. And congratulations on your engagement." She says. Now I know why she's here. "Might I say, you're quite a lucky girl, your fiancé has quite the looks and the build." She fantasizes. I ball my fists to supress the urge to punch her. I know she's doing this deliberately. By now, she would've received the news about the whole forced wedding, and she's not the type to miss out on any gossip.

"I wouldn't mind lending him to you." I say sweetly, trying to make my words sound like a lie to her. She laughs at my 'joke' and I join in too.

"As if you'd let go of such a keeper." She tells me, but immediately eyes Keeth. "Actually, I'm not sure. You've done it before." Anger boils right through me as I take a step closer to her, trying my best to threaten and intimidate her. It works quite well as she takes a step back away from me.

"Now, now ladies." Jesse says. "Let's enjoy the music."

"You're right." Celeste says. Just at that moment the song changes to Keeth's song, the one I sang. "Ooo, my favourite." She squeals. "I assume this is your favourite too, Keeth." She says.

"It sure is." Keeth says. "It reminds me of someone special." He says, looking at me, but Celeste doesn't notice as she continues to flirt.

"I'm surprised you're not on the dance floor with that special someone." Celeste says, bracing herself for her dance with Keeth. Surprisingly, Keeth nods gently as he makes his way towards us, ready to take Celeste's hand. But, suddenly, I feel his hand take my right wrist as he turns me around and pulls me towards the dance floor. I'm shocked at first, causing me to freeze and just walk behind me but then my immediate reaction after that is to turn around and as soon as I do I see Celeste fuming and running away. I, then, notice Dad and Jesse smirking at Keeth's move. I try and free my hand from his grip but it's too strong. I really don't understand why he's doing this. Why does he want to dance with me? We fought and he questioned our relationship. We haven't talked since then, so why this? When we get to the dance floor and join all the other couples dancing, Keeth pulls me into him and instinctively my hands go up and wrap around his neck, while his around my waist. Due to all the practices we have had with Effie, we seem to be experts at this. However, usually when we dance we barely move an inch, but now Keeth sways me, actually dancing to the music. But all I could think of was the wedding, the fear of Keeth being harmed because of this closeness. Keeth doesn't seem fazed by this. I look up at Keeth and all I can see in his eyes are compassion and determination.

"What're doing Keeth?" I hiss.

"Listen," Keeth says as he pushes me back, taking my hands into his and then pulling me into him again. "I knew Celeste would want to dance with me. She's been flirting with me ever since we came and…"

"And I'm your guard, aren't I?" I say. "Protecting you from all those girls." Keeth spins me around then pulls me back into me.

"No, that's not it." Keeth says.

"That is the case, Keeth. But, I'm not here get rid of any of your potential girlfriends. You can handle them yourself." I say, unwrapping my arms around his neck and walking away but as I do so Keeth grabs my hand and spins me into him. As that happens by foot slips as I fall. To protect myself, I wrap my hands around Keeth's neck and his arms wrap around my waist protecting me from the fall. My eyes find his, as we stare into each other, looking for the same love that was always there between us. Keeth looks at me reassuringly, trying to make me feel better but it doesn't work. All I could feel was anger at the fact that he wasn't letting me go. That he wasn't understanding how I was feeling. I shift slightly, which is when Keeth realises we have been in the same position for quite a while, and pulls me back up. I take my hand out of his, adjust my hair and glare at him.

"Who do you think I am, Keeth?" I hiss. "I'm not going to be here to help you when you want." I tell him. "That's why I stay away from you." I say, walking away from him, but again he grabs my hand and pulls me into him, closer this time, swaying to the music again.

"Don't leave." Keeth urges.

"Why?" I ask.

"Because you're the best." He says, causing me to look at him. "I mean my best friend. And I need you." I don't take my eyes away from him. He pushes me back, taking my hands into his and then pulling me into him again. "And I didn't agree to be friends with you just to lose you." He spins me around and then pulls me back towards him. "By the way, I know you miss me, like I do to you. And maybe that's why I wanted to dance with you. Celeste was just an excuse." Inwardly I smile at the fact that he wanted to dance with me, and that he misses me. But outwardly, I just stare at him, as though I were looking at him in disbelief or that I didn't know how to react. As much as I know this is wrong for me to do as I could put many lives at stake if Marcus were to ever find out about this, because I can imagine how close we look and the murmurs and whispers going around about this dance.

Just as I was thinking about that, Keeth lets go of me, leaving my hand lingering on his shoulder. My heart saddens as he takes a step away from me. He doesn't understand what I feel does he? I never wanted to dance with him, but once we did I felt a strange feeling of bliss inside me, and now he does this. My eyebrows come closer in confusion as I stare at him. Why is he doing this to me?

"Why'd you stop?" I ask him.

"I thought you'd get angry and shout at me." He admits.

"You still don't understand me, do you?" I ask. He looks at me for some time before taking my hand in his again and pulling me into him to begin dancing. He spins me around a couple of times before pulling me back.

"All I know is that you're very complicated." He smiles, but I don't return it. He pulls me closer, leading to the fluttering feeling of butterflies in my stomach. I want to be in his arms forever, but all I could think about was our proximity. I have a feeling of discomfort because of our proximity. I'm not sure what's wrong because we've danced like this before. But, maybe it is the fact that we haven't talked in a really long time, or, maybe it is the memories of our last fight that fills my mind.

Whatever is bothering me leads me to let go of him, leading to him to look at me with confusion. "I'm done, Keeth," I say. I'm about to walk away when I decide to say something else. "When you're far away from me, I can't handle it, Keeth. But now that you're near me, I can't seem handle it either."

"But…" Keeth tries to say, looking really perplexed.

"You're the one that said I'm complicated." I tell him, turning around and walking away, not bothering to look at his reaction. Quite a few people have been staring at us and I notice their eyes follow me as I walk away, trying my best not to break into a run in front of all those people. But once I escape the people and enter loneliness I run towards Aiden's porch and sit on his swing. I bury my face in my hands as tears escape my eyes. I don't understand why Keeth wants to hurt me so much. It's like he's playing a game with me. He's breaking the wall around my heart and then building it and then breaking again. And then the dance. He wanted to make a show of us. He wanted to make me feel uncomfortable, by acting like someone really close to me. But he ended whatever we had between each other that night on the train, so why do all this now? And the way he acted tonight, is not like him. I don't ever recall Keeth ever speaking so light-heartedly.

The sound of approaching footsteps stops my trail of thoughts. I look up, wiping away my tears, to see Keeth. I groan.

"Go away." I tell Keeth, but he doesn't listen as he takes a seat next to me on the swing.

"I didn't come here to leave." Keeth says. "I'm here to talk."

"I don't think you've anything to say after the show you just created." I say.

"Ashlyn, I won't leave without talking to you." He admits.

"Why did you do what you just did?" I ask. "You pull me up to dance despite my reluctance and you don't let me go. But, I felt happy and secure in your arms and dancing with you. Then you just let go of me. You don't care do you?"

"I…I missed you, Ashlyn." Keeth admits. "And I was worried. I thought you'd be mad."

"You don't understand me, do you?" I ask.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." Keeth tells me.

"Why?" I ask. "You ended everything that night on the train."

"And I regret, alright." Keeth says, frustrated. "We were both upset and angry at each other."

"But we always argue." I tell him. "It's like a cycle. We're happy, then we argue and then we make up with each other. Then we argue again." I explain. "I'm tired."

"I know; we argue a lot." Keeth says. "We don't understand each other."

"Yeah." I sigh. This is just like the night on the train. It's a repetition of it.

A silence falls between us as we both stare into the darkness ahead. Keeth taps his foot, restlessly, which gives me the impression that he wants to tell me something. Even after a few minutes the silence has sustained and I consider leaving this conversation.

"I want to get to know you." Keeth blurts out, as I begin to stand up. I settle down again and look at him.

"What do you mean?" I ask. "We know each other already."

"I know the tribute, Ashlyn Mellark. And the Victor, Ashlyn Mellark." Keeth tells me. "But not the real Ashlyn Mellark."

"This is the real me now." I tell him. "The old Ashlyn died in the Games."

"No, she hasn't." Keeth says. "She is right here, just doesn't surface that much."

"The old Ashlyn was never so weak and frail."

"I don't see anyone weak or frail here." Keeth says, acting like he's searching. "Do you?"

"See, I've never known you to be this light-hearted and witty." I say honestly.

"I've always been like this. I mean just slightly light-hearted." He tells me. "This is the real me. And that was me as a tribute."

"You're confusing me, Keeth." I tell him.

"I mean that our relationship has been through a lot and in fact started off in the Games. Face it, we were both heading off to our almost certain death and were both frightened. All both of us could think was whether we could trust the other or what the other's intention was. We had no time to be ourselves around each other." He says and I furrow my brow. "I know what makes you scared. I know what makes you sad. I know your nightmares. But I don't know you best moment in life or what makes you happy." He says, with things finally beginning to make sense. "All I want to say is that I want to get to know you without the Games."

"I don't see the point, Keeth." I tell him. "We have to accept the fact that there's no escaping everything around us. That there's no chance for us."

"As friends then." Keeth suggests. "I want to get to know my friend. I want a fresh start as though we never knew each other. That's all I'm asking." Keeth says. "Deal?" He asks, extending his arm out. As much as I hate to admit it, he's right. I want to get to know him too. I look down at his hand then at him.

"No. I can't shake hands." I tell him and he looks down, disappointed. "With a total stranger." Keeth beams at my acceptance and I smile too.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Keeth says. "Keeth Ambertson."

"Ashlyn Mellark." I say. "I don't believe I've seen you around here."

"I like to stay in the background." Keeth says. "And I don't think I've seen you either. Especially, not on posters, billboards or TV shows." I smile.

"Of course not." I say. After a long silence I say, "I think I'll be heading home."

I'm in no mood for the party anyways.

"I'll walk you." Keeth offers and I smile.

"Sure." I say. "Although, my parents may not be too happy about me walking with a stranger."

"I don't think we'll be strangers for too long." Keeth says, standing up. I follow suit.

We begin walking towards the Victors Village, our shoulders brushing as we walk in the darkness.

"And how will that happen?" I ask, craning my neck to look at him, or what I could see of him in the darkness.

"Questions." Keeth says. "We just ask questions to get to know each other."

"But not too many." I tell him. "We don't want to run out."

"One question a day." Keeth suggests.

"One a day." I confirm.

"Okay, what's your favourite food?" Keeth asks.

"Really?" I ask, thinking about the various possibilities. Keeth just looks at me expectantly, waiting for an answer. "Fine, cheese buns, but I think that's only because I live with Panem's best baker."

"Oh, you're right. I've tried Peeta's cheese buns." Keeth smiles. "You're lucky. You get to have delicious food everyday."

"Okay then, what's your favourite food?" I repeat.

"You can't ask the same questions." Keeth says.

"Yeah, I can. I thought that was the whole point." I say.

"What ever you say." Keeth surrenders. "Cookies."

"Out of everything you could've said, you said cookies." I point out.

"They used to be a treat for us in the orphanage." Keeth says.

"At least I know you're easy to please." I say, walking into the Victors' Village.

"It would make a good birthday present." Keeth tells me.

"When is your birthday?" I ask, realising I actually don't know.

"Don't you remember. One question a day." Keeth tells me. I look at him with pleading eyes but he just chuckles. He walks me to my door and before I turn the handle I look at him. "See you tomorrow?"

"With another question." He states before turning around and walking away, whistling.

I sigh and walk into the house, realising that this is the most happy I've ever felt since the Games. Maybe this isn't a bad idea.

* * *

I approach Keeth, who is by the fountain in the Victors' Village.

"Question?" He asks and I nod. "It's your turn."

"Hmm." I think. "Your favourite flower?"

"Lilies." Keeth answers. "Coz of you." He says, looking into my eyes. I blush but then decide to change the topic.

"Okay, so mine are primroses." I tell him.

"I didn't ask you that." Keeth complains. I shrug.

"Well, don't you remember your plan. We ask the same question." I tell him.

"You always win, don't you." Keeth says.

"It's a habit."

* * *

"Your favourite colour?" I ask.

"White." Keeth says and I furrow my brow.

"Isn't that a bit boring?" I ask.

"No, It's pure." He says.

* * *

There was never a day in these few months where Keeth and I never asked each other a question. The months have been hard, just the same as all the others, but the presence of Keeth has really made me sail through the storm. I actually had something to wake up for in the morning. It was something I would eagerly look forward to each day. It would mean one extra step closer to Keeth. One more thing I knew about him. It makes me feel satisfied. And it made me fall in love with him even more. Despite that, I never stopped.

The day almost comes to an end, much to my happiness. This was the first time in my life that I ever wanted my birthday to not arrive. But it did. Now, my birthday only brings back visions from the previous year when Aquilo took over. All my friends and family simply wished me, knowing that I wouldn't want anything extravagant. The rest of the day I spent with Keeth. The worst part of the day was when Marcus called and wished me. It made me feel disgusting rather than pampered. He talked about how lucky I was that I got him and that that was my biggest gift. Then he went on to say that I would receive my birthday gift on our wedding day, something that was nearing in a month, along with the Games.

I walk back home after my day with Keeth and I am about to walk up the stairs towards my room when Mum and Dad beckoned me over, telling me something about mandatory viewing. Curious, I perch myself on the couch next to Dad and watch as President Aquilo walks up at a podium. Aquilo talks about what happened in the Rebellion.

"As you all know it has been 25 years since the Second Rebellion that took away the lives of many innocent people. As a reminder of this fact, we have decided to increase the reaping age to 25 years old for the next Games." He says, smiling viciously. "In addition to this, we have decided to include a twist in the next Games as it would have been the hundredth anniversary of the Hunger Games. Therefore, as a reminder that even the most rebellious among them cannot escape the power of the Capitol, the male and female tribute will be reaped from the family members of the rebels that were present in District 13 during the Second Rebellion. The tributes will be reaped within the age limit. Letters will be sent to all eligible shortly." He says. After a long pause he says, 'Oh, and Happy 17th Birthday."

He just recreated what happened last year. My heart begins to beat quickly. They were right. The anonymous writer was right. Aquilo has made sure that I go back to the arena. He wants me to suffer. He wants me to go through that nightmare again. But will I? I will be married to his son, so will he actually send me into the arena? Maybe not. But maybe this is an ideal way for him to kill me off and make it seem like the Capitol is not biased. But maybe it's Rye who he'll use to break me. All these thoughts fill my mind. But something else does to. I jump off the couch and run out the door towards Keeth's. Impatiently, I pound my fist on his door. He doesn't take long to answer.

"You just saw it didn't you?" Keeth asks, looking at my panic-stricken face. I ignore his question and leap onto him as he caught me in his arms. I hold him tightly, not wanting to let him go.

"Question." I beg. I feel Keeth nodding against my neck. "Do you think you're going into the Games?"

"Yes." Keeth says in my hair. "Do you?"

"I don't know." I cry.

And it's the truth.

* * *

 **-Gasp- Will Ashlyn go back to the arena or not? I know if she is, but I'd like to know from you. Who do you think will be going into the Games? I'd like to see who you think will in your reviews.**

 **I also hope you liked the questions scene and party scene between Keeth and Ashlyn. I really found it necessary to do this to build their relationship.**

 **Okay, so to prepare you guys, I am telling you in advance that the next chapter will be the wedding. Good Luck Ashlyn.**

 **Also, please wish me luck for my exams. I really need it.**

 **Bye for now...;)**

 **Oh yeah, I forgot. Please REVIEW! I really cherish them.**


	42. Wedding

**Disclaimer: Of course I don't own the Hunger Games. If I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. ;)**

 **A/N: Hey again guys. Sorry again for not updating but now my GCSEs are over. However, I have my mocks in a few weeks so after that, my updates will be more frequent. But for now, I got the next chapter. Just to let you know a lot happens in this chapter. And by a lot, I mean a LOT! I have fitted quite a bit in this chapter. And I believe in about 6 or 7 chapters the story will be over and I will start a sequel although a number of chapters may vary. So please read and enjoy this incredibly long chapter...**

* * *

 **Wedding**

I sit in the large room, all alone, staring myself in the mirror. What else could I do? Nothing. Not when I'm stuck wearing my wedding dress. I stand up, the wedding dress weighing down on my shoulders. I spin around slightly, getting a better look at the dress. The slihouette of the dress is a trumpet style that fits closely to the body until mid hip. It has a bateau neckline. From the top up till my chest it is almost transparent lace. A pattern of golden sequins give the dress a royal look. The lace carries on till mid-hip, giving the top half a sparkling look. Underneath the lace is pure white material which can be seen through lace. The material flows out from mid thigh into layers and layers of material. And much to my dismay it replicates roses. White roses. The moment I saw those white roses I realised that Aquilo requested the design. I know for certain that Justice would not design this with his own will. My hair is in a half up and half down updo. My prep team curled my hair at the bottom and where my hair is pinned up, white roses are placed, complimenting the dress. My makeup is light upon my request. Of course, Justice knew this already and already told my prep team.

I cringe at the sound of bustling crowds outside the room, probably the camera crew and Effie. I take a deep breath but the weight on my chest prevents me from doing so properly. I wrap my arm around my stomach which hurts immensely. My breakfast threatens to make a reappearance but I hold it in. I never thought that this day would come, yet here we are. My wedding day. I always imagined my wedding to happen in a simple manner, rather than as extravagant as today. I always wanted to marry the guy I loved immensely but here it is the complete opposite. Marcus Snow. The son of my enemy.

I hear the door handle turn and I hold back the tears threatening to fall from my eyes. Through the mirror I see Amethyst's head peak through. I turn and smile at her which tells her to come in the room. As the walks in the room I admire the way she carries her dress. It is a short pink dress, laced at the top with a rose on her left shoulder. And the way she walks in her heels is like she is as experienced as Effie.

"You look beautiful," I tell her.

"Says the bride," Amethyst replies. "Look at you." I turn to face the mirror again and Amethyst stands behind me.

"I just wish I couldn't," I tell her truthfully. "This dress, this wedding, this life, it isn't something I wanted."

"Well, for all we know, this marriage may not even last long," She says, winking. I know that she means the Rebellion would potentially allow me to leave Marcus.

"Yeah, I may be going into the Games," I tell her. It is a possibility. After the announcement of the Games we received two letters at home. Some people were shocked when they found out, but not me. I knew that my wedding will not give me any priveldges. His excuse would probably be that at the time of the announcement I was a Distrct 12 citizen. Among the other receivers were Rye, Amethyst, Jesse and Keeth. I just hope that neither Jesse nor Amethyst are reaped. They are the two Rebellion leaders of District 12. And as much selfishness my saying this shows, I don't want any of my loved ones to be reaped. There are many other people who also received the letter in District 12.

"Well, if you do get reaped, I'll volunteer." Amethyst tells me and I instantly shake my head. "You know, since I didn't volunteer for you last year."

"Don't you dare do that, understand." I yell. "You're too precious." I say. "For everyone."

"And you're precious for me." She says.

"I love you," I tell her. "Which is why you won't volunteer. Promise me that."

"Fine, I won't." Amethyst says putting her hands up in a mock surrender. "I don't want to get killed do I?" I laugh. I give a genuine laugh. Maybe my last one.

"Hey." I hear Jesse say behind us. When did he get here? "Don't leave me out."

"You're here just in time." Amethyst says. "We were just about to hug."

"No," I say. "No one said anything about hugging. My prep team – no – Effie would kill me if my hair or dress were messed up or wrinkled."

"Shut up, Ash," Jesse says. "You out of all people don't care about what Effie has to say." I roll my eyes. "In fact, I pity her. I just met her. She's a gem of a person."

"She is. But she's a weird gem." Amethyst says.

"Well, not as weird as Ash." Jesse jokes. I playfully shove him. They're trying to lighten the mood. No, my mood. And It was working. But just a bit. Nothing in the world could make me forget what was going to happen. "Now can we get this group hug over with already?" I smile, faintly, and take both of them in a tight hug. And by tight, I mean tight. I hold them with all my life. They sense my fear in the hug and they hold onto me too and both of them whisper words of consolement.

We don't let go until we hear a knock on the door. I tell whoever it is to come in and as soon as we see their face Amethyst and Jesse dismiss themselves. Keeth stands awkwardly as they leave and during that time I get a good look of Keith. He looks so smart and charming in his suit. His hair is a bit messy but I think his prep team hasn't gotten to it yet. But if I be honest, he looks better with his hair a bit messy. I believe I was staring because Keeth coughs as he walks up to me. Immediately I turn away from him. However, the next thing I know, Keeth takes my hands into his which urges me to turn and look at him. And when I finally look at his eyes, I lose control over myself. I melt. I melt by his touch, by his stare, by his presence, by him in general.

"You look better in trousers," Keeth tells me. The tears don't stop but I give him a faint smile. Now, after all those questions we've asked each other and all that time we've spent, his wittiness doesn't surprise me. Instead, it keeps me alive. "But still, you look beautiful." He whispers.

"Your hair," I point out.

"My prep team haven't got to that yet." He says and instintively he touches his hair.

"Don't let them. I like it like this," I tell him. "It seems natural."

"Well then at our wedding, I'm making sure you walk down the aisle with trousers rather than a dress and me with messy hair." At the mention of 'our' wedding I shake my head. He can't be mentioning these things to me. I need to be strong enough to face this.

"No Keeth. Please don't." I beg. Keeth makes me shut up by placing a finger on my lips.

"You can never make me stop hoping, Ashlyn." Keeth says. "Maybe my hopes will turn to reality." I sigh.

"I wish they do," I tell him. Keeth doesn't say anything after that and we just stand there in silence until eventually I turn around. Keeth takes my hands again and turns me around again.

"Question," Keeth tells me and I look at him confused. What could he possibly ask me?

"But it's my turn and I have nothing to-" I begin to say but he cuts me off.

"Do you trust me?" He asks.

"Yes," I say.

"Do you love me?" Keeth asks. I look at him with those eyes that tell him to stop. "Please answer the question, Ashlyn."

"That's more than one," I point out.

"Do you love me?" Keeth repeats with more urgency.

"Yes," I barely choke out.

"Will you ever stop loving me?" Keeth asks another question.

"No," I tell him. "Never."

"I just needed to know that," Keeth says before his hands begin slipping away from mine. Keeth begins to walk away from me and that's when I begin feeling the void. I shake my head at me, trying to stop him from leaving.

"Keeth," I call out. He turns to look at me and more tears fall from my eyes. "Will you wait for me?"

"Yes. No matter how long it takes." Keeth says and as he says that I run up to him and jump into his arms. His arms secure themselves around my waist. The heat from his body radiates onto mine, making me feel like I'm no longer in the Capitol. It makes me think of a safe haven where there's just Keeth and I. It makes me feel safe, secure and loved.

"I love you," I whisper as softly as possible. "I love you Keeth and no power in the world can make me forget that."

"Shh," He whispers. "Don't cry." He tells me. "You're strong, Ash. You just need to show them this. You got it?" I nod against his shoulder and he pulls back from the hug. I place one last kiss on his cheek before he leaves.

* * *

I manage to clear any signs of tears from my face just before Effie comes in with Dad telling me its time to leave. I sigh and brace myself for the flurry of flashes from all the cameras as we leave. And it truly was a flurry. There were reporters and cameramen everywhere, everyone wanting me to pose for a picturer. Some by myself and some with Dad by my side. It takes quite some time but eventually Effie manages to get us in the car. When we do get in the car, all there is is silence between Dad and I. However the first gesture by Dad is that he places his hand over mine. When I turn to look at him all I see is tears. I shake my head at the sight of the tears.

"I'm the worst Dad ever," Dad says and I shake my head again, tears flowing down my cheek again. "I couldn't even protect my daughter."

"Dad," I say.

"A father is supposed to protect his daughter, and look what I've done. I'm just allowing my daughter to marry a beast." Dad says.

"Dad," I call out again. "Please stop. I need all the strength I can get to go through with this. Please don't make me feel weak."

"I just didn't expect you to be wearing a wedding dress so soon. And you're not even marrying a boy you like. And I know you're not happy," Dad rambles. "Heck why would you be happy?"

"Dad, now you're acting like all fathers do on their daughter's wedding day. The whole you've grown up so fast," I say, trying to lighten the mood.

"What else do I say to my brave princess?" Dad asks and I smile. "You truly are strong. Stronger than Katniss and me. I'm not happy with this decision, Ash, although I know it wasn't much of a decision but I'm proud. I just wish that this isn't the last time you wear a wedding dress," Dad says and I understand that he means the chance to spend my life with Keeth.

"I hope so too," I tell him. "And hopefully, something happens and after a few days I'll never have to see Marcus ever again." I try and be as hopeful as possible. But this isn't something I mean, it's more to make Dad feel a lot better.

"You don't mean the Games, do you?" Dad asks. I shake my head and then bring a finger to my lips to tell him not to say anything. Dad nods although he gives a look that tells me that I would need to tell him later. I simple nod.

"Mum?" I ask him.

"At the venue," he tells me. The venue is the City Circle, where the Tribute Parade takes place. Effie already gave me instructions. We will go to the Remake Centre where Dad and I will get on a chariot. The chariot will cover most of the distance to the City Circle and the rest will be Dad walking me down the aisle. All the important guests will be seated at the Circle while the rest of the Capitol guests where they usually do during a Tribute Parade.

* * *

Within no time we reach the Remake Centre and Dad and I are already on the chariot. Standing on the chariot just gives me the feeling that I'm going back into the Games. That there will be a bloodbath and deaths and Victors. When I turn to look at Dad I see the same fear in his eyes. I can see bad memories coming to him. I hear the occassional rasped breathing from him and to console him I place my hand on his shoulder. Dad turns and gives me a smile.

"I should be the one consoling you," Dad says.

"We console each other, Dad," I say. "We've both been through this nightmare."

Just as I finish my sentence I feel the chariot moving and it takes a bit of time to handle myself. The light from outside blinds me and the cheers and applause from the audience deafens me. Despite that I manage to plaster a wide smile on my face to make myself look like a girl madly in love. I see the bridal party waiting at the halting point and when I near the first ones begin to walk down the aisle. I believe it is the groomsmen walking down the aisle first. To be honest, I don't even know who's part of the groomsmen since it is information that isn't that important at the moment. Then my bridesmaids walk down. That is Amethyst and Ciara Mason, Johanna's daughter. Ciara was the only other girl I could think of to be my bridesmaid. Ciara is one of the most prettiest girls I've seen. Her golden blond hair, her sparkling blue eyes, perfect facial features and a fearless personality. What more do you need? Maybe that's why I've always been so jealous of the fifteen year old. Most of her features come from her father, a man she has never met, apart from her personality. I've met Johanna and I'm not sure whether that's a blessing or curse. All I know is that this girl really knows how to charm a guy.

My thoughts stop just as the chariot does too. Dad slowly gets off the chariot and gives me his hand and allows me to get off. When I turn towards the City Circle I see the ring bearer and flower girl beginning their journey down the aisle. The two little ones were picked through a lucky draw amongst all Capitol children. It was just a way to include the Capitol citizens in the wedding.

Dad holds his arm out and I loop my arm around it as we begin out journey. My eyes fixate at the end of the aisle where Marcus stands smirking at me. However, all I can see is a Cornucopia. I imagine the music to have been the gong that announces the start of the Games. What are my options? Run away from the bloodbath or run towards the Cornucopia. Usually running away is the best option but in this case it isn't. I have to go through the bloodbath. I have to go through the wedding. As we pass all the important guests seated, which inclue past victors like Annie, Johanna and Beetee. Then there's some of my friends from District 12, Jesse, Aiden and as we get closer to Marcus I see Keeth. I notice he left his hair messy. I wish I could smile at that, but I could not. When our eyes meet I try not to let them linger too long, but it becomes incredibly difficult to look away. I need to look away. I need to look away. But I don't. I just stare at him. However it is when he shakes his head I look away.

As we get closer the weight on my chest increases until I find it making my breathing difficult. I swallow the bile down my throat when I hug Dad, kiss him on the cheek and watch him take a seat between Mum and Rye. The whole way down the aisle I've been fearing what will happen next but when I see the smirk on Marcus' face it gives me inscentive to stand taller than him and seem braver and more confident than him. Just to show him and his heartless father that they've messed with the wrong girl, even if I'm not feeling the same. I tune out for most of the ceremony and just focus on glaring at Marcus. It's only when I'm asked the question I tune in.

"Do you, Ashlyn Mellark, take Marcus Snow to be your lawfully wedded husband, to share your life openly, standing with him, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in hardship and in ease, to cherish and to love, so long as you both live?" I look at Marcus. I look at Mum. I look at Dad. I look at Rye. I look at Haymitch. Jesse. Amethyst. Ciara. Aiden. And finally, Keeth. And when I look at Keeth he gives me a subtle nod and in response I nod back.

I take a deep breath and say, "I do." A round of applause and cheers are sounded and I fake a smile towards them.

The rings are asked for and Marcus places the ring on my finger while saying his vows. Vows I know he won't keep. I stare down at the ring on my finger. Just as heavy, just as extravagant and just as irritating as the engagement ring. The ring is gold and is adorned with even more diamonds. It is thicker than the engagement ring and as soon as he puts it on my finger I wish to take it off. Then, when it is my turn to put the ring on his finger and say my vows I pray that I don't fumble while I do so. I, robotically, say the vows Effie wrote for me to memorise and soon the ceremony is over. Almost.

"You may now kiss the bride," Marcus is told and all of a sudden I feel a pit of pain in my stomach again. He wraps his arm around my waist and presses his lips against mine. I don't kiss back which allows Marcus to pull back early. I realise that this gesture may seem to suspicious so I look away slightly to make it seem like I'm shy. And it worked. A chorus of 'aww's' sounded.

Now I was married.

* * *

Celebrations take place later on in the President's mansion where only my guests and important Capitol officials are allowed in. Most of the night is spent with thanking people for their presence at the wedding. I try my best not cringe when people address me as "Mrs Snow." I never really ever imagined that I would have Snow attached to my name, but now I'm stuck with it unless the Rebellion manages to take place. Then, there's a brief photoshoot with Marcus, my family, my friends and my bridesmaids. And this finally ends with a dance, which is started by the bride and groom. Marcus leads me to the centre of the room and pulls me close to him. Reluctantly, I wrap my arms around his neck and his snake around my waist, pulling me even more close. Dangerously close.

"I didn't get a chance to tell you how gorgeous you looked today," Marcus tells me.

"It doesn't matter," I tell him. We're married. What else does he want?

"Oh, it does matter," Marcus tells me, "You're my wife. You need to know how special you are to me."

"I think I know what I need to know," I reply.

"It's too bad you're going to leave today," Marcus tells me. "Damn you, father."

"I requested to have the wedding today," I tell him. "Besides, I'm still a resident of District 12 and I could possibly be in the Games because of your father."

"Oh, my father won't do that. He never wants to upset me," He tells me. "He will make sure you're not reaped."

"Okay then. Not reaped, what about if I volunteered?" I ask.

"Well, I wouldn't spare you," he threatens.

"There would be no point. I'd already be dying. In the Games," I spit. When I do so, Marcus digs his finger into my skin and I wince in pain.

"You are not, under any circumstances, going to volunteer for those Games. Do I make myself clear?" He asks. I glare at him, trying to hide the pain searing through my body. "Do I make myself clear?" He repeats.

"You can hurt me as much as you want, Marcus," I tell him. "Don't forget I'm a Victor of the Hunger Games." Marcus digs deeper but I don't let my eyes fall. I glare at him. Eventually, he gives up and with a huff he moves his hand away from the spot. I let out a quiet sigh and try and hold back the tears that are a result of the pain.

"You better not forget that I'm the son of the President," He warns. "I'm much more powerful than a Victor." I look away from him as we continue to dance. Then, suddenly, in the middle of the dance, Marcus decides to lean in and I panic. I can't shut him out. Instead I meet him halfway and please him with a peck on his lips. Marcus looks at me with annoyance but I just smile to irritate him.

People begin to join us on the dance floor. Mum and Dad dance as well, but their eyes are only on me. I even manage to notice Aiden and Amethyst dancing together. Amethyst and Aiden dance close to each other. They whisper things in each others' ears and Amethyst seems to be beaming. And even when Amethyst trips, Aiden catches her and never lets go of her again. A weird thought that them being a couple enters my mind but I brush it off.

Soon the President makes a speech dedicated to us and we are free to do whatever we want. I decide to talk to Aiden and Amethyst as they're the safest option and because I don't want to dance. Our conversation, however, is cut short by an interruption by Aquilo. Aquilo takes me away from them so we can talk.

"Congratulations, Miss Mellark – no sorry – Mrs Snow," He says and I cringe.

"Thank you, President Aquilo," I say.

"President Aquilo – nonsense. Call me Dad," He offers.

"President Aquilo, I must go, everyone from the Districts need to leave to catch our train," I tell him. "We can finish this conversation when I get back."

"As you wish, Ashlyn," He says, using my first name. I not curtly and join my friends and family as we head for the train station. Marcus decides to join us to the train station where a camera crew film our departure which is full of fake tears by me. I had to put on the show to show my heartbreak at leaving my husband. As soon as we enter the train and the train begins moving, I manage to let out a sigh of relief. The smile on my face falls.

* * *

I spend some time in my room after changing into a comfortable top and shorts and tying my hair into a ponytail. However, it is when all my friends come to my room and beg me to come out I leave my room. As soon as I reach there I collapse on the nearest couch and am instantly surrounded by Jesse, Amethyst, Aiden, Haymitch and Keeh. My family have already left to another car. Haymitch collapses on the couch opposite mine and immediately takes out a flask. As he takes a swig, the temptation within me to drown away my sorrows increases as I heave myself off the couch, push past my friends and snatch the flask out of Haymitch's hands. As I do so, I watch Jesse, Amethst and Aiden's eyes widen in shock. They've never seen me drink. Keeth, however, just looks at me, probably remembering the last time I drank. As I'm about to take a sip, Haymitch tries taking the flask away from me but my grip on it strengthens.

"I wouldn't if I were you, sweetheart," Haymitch tells me. "Remember what happened last time. You're too young to handle it." I ignore his comment as I gulp down the burning liquid, coughing as soon as it enters my throat. I take another gulp, and the effects are too sudden.

"Young?" I ask and then laugh loudly. "I'm a married woman!" I shout. "If I can handle getting married to a beast who has already hurt me-" I say and then gesture to the side of my waist. "He already threatened me." I watch as Jesse, Aiden and Keeth clench their fists. "Don't worry. He said that if I volunteer for the Games, he wouldn't spare me." I say and then I laugh again. "Is he an idiot? If I volunteer for the Games, I'm obviously going to die."

"Stop being stupid, Ash," Jesse says. "You're not volunteering."

"Volunteering means that I won't have to see Marcus' face again. Which means happiness, right?" I ask.

"No, it doesn't," I hear Keeth say. I turn my head and watch him walk towards me. My head begins to spin as I take another swig of liquor. This is good. I need to ask Haymitch what he drinks. "You're a fighter." I manage to stumble my way to Keeth and he catches me in his arms.

"Why couldn't they let me marry you?" I ask him. "I wouldn've been drinking if they did. I would've been celebrating. Okay, then I would've been drinking. But it wouldn't've been because of sadness because right now I'm sad and I just feel like crying because whenever I close my eyes I see Marcus and whenever I move I can feel the pain of his fingers on my waist and I remember how much I hate him and how much I love you and I just wish that I died in the Games then I wouldn't be suffering-" I ramble on and on and I don't stop. I can't stop. I want to let loose all my emotions. "-and Dad wouldn't be feeling so guilty and you and I wouldn't be feeling so heartbroken and I just don't want to live anymore because I just feel so broken even though I shouldn't be because isn't that what Aquilo wants and I don't want him to win but I can't pretend anymore-" I carry on but am stopped by Keeth who places his lips on mine. My trembling hands go to his hair. The kiss is short but it makes me melt in his arms. Or maybe it is because my knees begin to wobble and my eyes eventually give in to the darkness.

* * *

My eyes flutter open and instantly I squint at the blinding lights. I finally begin to get my bearings when I realise I'm in my room. I sit up and my head throbs with pain. That's when last night comes back to me. Drinking, ranting, rambling and kissing. Kissing. Keeth kissed me. He kissed me. Suddenly, I'm filled with the desire and want for him. Why? Why did he do that? He just made me feel weak because now all I can think of is him and my love for him. I really do love him. And after the past few months when we've been spending more time with each other, I understand him. I really understand him. And not the tribute, Keeth. Or the Victor Keeth. But the person. I know who he really is and now I just love him even more. However, now I just wish that we didn't do that. Maybe my pain, loss and heartbreak wouldn't be so immense. No. What am I saying? Those months I spent with Keeth were the mest months of my life. I'd never replace it. I'd give anything to keep those memories.

We would just sit and talk to each other. Sometimes at his house. He would play the piano and I would listen. I would learn new music pieces from him and eventually we played together. Sometimes we would sit in the meadow. Keeth would whip up a picnic basket and blanket and we would have a meal at the meadow. After that we would lie down close to each other and stare at the azure blue sky. On occassions I took Keeth to the woods and we would spend an entire day out there and once we even swam at the lake. I mean it was more like a teaching session. I had to teach Keeth. Keeth said, "You still have to pay me for the piano lessons." I laughed. That's how the months went by. How I wish that I could relive those moments.

I smile as I drag myself off the bed. When I do, I hear a faint chatter in the last car and as curious as I am I decide to check it out. And I'm glad I do because when I open the door I'm met with the beaming smiles of Jesse, Amethyst, Aiden and Keeth. They beckon me over and I perch myself next to Jesse.

"The princess finally woke up," Jesse says. I roll my eyes and slap his shoulder playfully.

"You haven't called me princess in a while," I mention.

"Well, it's because you had given up your arrogant ways for a while," Jesse says.

"So waking up late is on your arrogance list?" I ask. Jesse just laughs.

"No, but thinking you're the best at playing the piano is," Keeth says and I widen my eyes.

"Well," I say. "You're the person responsible for making me an expert, so it is clearly your fault I'm not the best."

"A teacher's job is never done," Keeth remarks. I laugh.

"You know, I know understand what you met when you said that the District party is not as extravagent as the Capitol's," Jesse says.

"The Capitol," I sigh, "Nothing can beat them."

"In parties and clothes," Keeth adds on.

"Their clothes were outrageous," Amethyst says. "The ambience is so sinister," she adds. "I hope I never come back to the Capitol again."

I just hope that she doesn't.

We end up talking about our childhood and the most embarassing things we've done.

"I can't remember anything about me," Amethyst says. "But I do have something for Jesse." Jesse, almost too quickly, turns and gives Amethyst a confused look. Amethyst seems to recollecting the moment and bursts out into a laughter. I look at her and I realise what she's talking about. Straightaway I laugh too. Jesse turns to look at me and his eyes widen at the realisation.

"No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No." Jesse repeats. "You're not telling them anything."

"Oh no, now you're telling us," Aiden says. "I want to know."

"Me too," Keeth says.

"It was, it was when it was just too funny," she says trying to catch her breath. When she does she continues, "It was when we were ten."

"Please don't," Jesse begs, burying his face in his hands.

"We were spending the afternoon at my house, as in Ash and I," She continues.

"You wouldn't dare,"

"Then all of a sudden Jesse walks in the room," Amy continues.

"This is so embarrassing."

"And on his face was-," She says but then pauses. She looks at a spot in the room as though she is thinking and then smiles. "I have a picture."

"Wait what!" Jesse exclaims. "Why would you have a picture?"

"Because it's the one that I keep in my journal," Amy gushes before running off it get it. The shock and almost fear on Jesse's make me laugh more but also makes me want to look at that picture again even though I was there.

"I just want you to keep in mind that it was a dare, alright?" Jesse explains. "It was just a dare. And if I did it then I wouldn't need to do the dishes during our family dinners."

I remember the day so well. I remember when Jesse walked into the room with make-up plastered all over his face. He made an effort to put on a dark red shade of lipstick that went everywhere but his actual lips, pink blush on, smudged eyeliner, purple eyeshadow that managed to touch his eyebrows and even mascara. He wore purple shorts and wore heels. Overall he was adorable.

Amethyst runs into the room waving a photograph in the air. She jumps on the couch and just points and laughs at the photograph. Aiden and Keeth lean toward Amethyst and as soon as they lay eyes on the photo they burst out into laughter. Aiden, in fact, hunches over, wraps an arm around his stomach and hits the couch repeatedly to add effect. Jesse buries his face in his hands. I can still see his ears turning a deep shade of red. I stand off to the side and soak in this happiness. I watch my friends, who are in fact like family, enjoy the moment and forget all their woes. Even I forgot my woes. For a few minutes, nonetheless.

* * *

We arrive at District 12 the next morning – reaping day. As last year the atmosphere is very grim and sullen. And that atmosphere is specially emphasised as there are no cameramen there to welcome us. I believe they came with us. All the people I invited get off the train with their small bags that would hold essential items. The rest were provided by the Capitol. I decide not to wait for my parents and Rye and I just got off with Jesse and Amethyst. Jesse heads off towards his home and then it's just Amethyst and I as we walk in silence. I seem to have not been focusing as I trip over something, possibly a rock, and fall to the ground. Amethyst doesn't seem to notice as she continues walking. I pick myself up and brush off the dirt on my trousers and as I bend down to pick up my bags something on Amethyst catches my eye. It is something black protruding from her boot.

"Amy, what's that in your boot?" I shout out. Amethyst stops and turns around. Her eyes are widened as she glances between me and her boot.

"It's nothing, Ash," She says casually after handling herself. She begins walking again. I catch up to her but my eyes are just on her boots. What is it? A stick? A rod? A weapon? A weapon. I grab Amethyst's arm and pull her around to face me.

"What's in your boot?" I ask again, this time more firmly. Harshly, Amethyst shoves my hand off her arm.

"I said it's nothing, Ash," She says loudly.

"You're lying," I accuse before bending down to retrieve the item. Unfortunately, Amethyst blocks my movement as she pushes me away. This just confirms my suspicion. "It's a weapon," I whisper.

"It isn't," Amethyst urges. "It isn't."

"I know you're lying," I tel her. "Just tell me."

"Ash. You need to understand…I can't tell you," She says.

"You don't trust me," I say, taking steps behind me.

"No," Amethysts says. She's lying. They don't trust me anymore. No one trusts me anymore.

"Then why don't you tell me?" I ask.

"Because I can't," Amethyst repeats.

"You think I'll tell the President right?" I say. "Or Marcus. Although it's really the same." It's because I'm married to Marcus. Why didn't I expect this?

"No, we're just trying to-"

"I'm sorry," I say. "I'm sorry I'm now associated with _them._ I'm sorry I now have Snow stuck to my name." I tell her before taking off towards home. Why would anyone trust me anymore? One word, one slip up and they could potentially be dead. I could potentially tell Marcus or even Aquilo anything they tell me. Maybe their right to not trust me. After all they're just trying to save their lives too. They're trying to survive. Just like I am.

* * *

I've never seen so many different moods or emotions at once. I never thought I would ever, to be honest. But as I stand in the roped area in the square I watch signs of fear from the people who are in the pen with me. They are the people scared of the reapings. There's saddness from the families of the eligible tributes. There's relief from the families of the people who aren't eligible, who are happy that they didn't fight in the Rebellion. There's anger from every single individual in the square. Anger towards the Capitol and it's cruel ruling. Anger that every single person feels. The only emotion that's common.

All ages are mixed together. 12 years olds to 25 year olds. All of them standing together, like it is no longer our identity. Our identity is that we are the families of rebels. No. We are potential rebels. People who have a fire in their blood, in their roots. And we are the people the Capitol wants to get rid of.

I push past several people when I spot her red hair amongst the small crowd of girls. When I reach her, I slip my hand into hers. She turns to look at me instantly with a look of fear on her face. When she sees me relief takes over. I mouth the words 'I'm sorry' and she pulls me into a hug.

"I shouldn't've asked," I tell her. "I know what you're doing is for the best." And it's true. And why should I ask her anyways? I withdrew myself from the Rebellion. Maybe this is part of the same.

"I trust you," Amethyst says. "I'm just protecting you." I nod against her shoulder.

"Welcome, welcome," my head snaps towards the stage where Effie stands with two bowls alongside. This is really happening. My grip on Amethyst's hand tightens as the Mayor introduces the mentors, including Keeth and I, and as the video plays and especially when Effie's hands claw around inside the bowl filled with probably thirty to forty people before she settles with one. As she pulls the paper out, unfolds it and smoothens it out, I wish that the name is not mine or Amethyst's. It may be selfish that I want someone else to be reaped but I can't take the heartache any further. However, if it were between Amethyst and I going into the Games, I would choose myself.

"The female tribute is," Effie begins. I gulp. "Ashlyn Mellark…Snow." It takes time for me to process the fact that my name has been called. All I was able to hear was Snow. And that name did not fit with me. But as the name began to settle into my mind, I react. Slowly, I free my hand from Amethyst's, not daring to look at her, and begin walking through to the middle of the roped areas. My eyes meet Jesse's, Keeth's and Rye's. Tears prick all of theirs. But as soon as I see them, I look away. I was strong when I was getting married and I need to be strong now too.

How did I not expect to be reaped? This is the game that Aquilo's playing. I know his intention. It is crystal clear. I'm his pawn, the one who he wants to be hated by the Districts and then be reaped so that it seems like the Capitol is not biased. I climb the steps on the stage and just as I'm about to take my last step, a voice is heard. I turn my head to the voice. I see it. I see her beautiful red hair flowing behind her as she runs to the centre followed by Peacekeepers with their guns in hand.

"Wait!" She exclaims. "I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!"

I freeze. I don't know how to react. I don't know how to react to my best friend running up onto the stage. I don't know how to react to my best friend putting herself up for a death sentence. I don't know how to react to my best friend taking my death sentence on her. All I know is to shout, "No!" I run up to her and place my hands on her arms. "You're not doing this!"

"I have to," Amethyst whispers. "I can't let you go like last year."

"You promised me," I remind her. "You promised that you wouldn't volunteer."

"I didn't promise anything," she says before turning towards the crowd. Effie directs me to my parents. The mentors' seats. I recall our conversation. She didn't promise. She didn't promise me anything. Now I wish I did.

"What's your name?" Effie asks as formality. She knows who she is.

"Amethyst Marchand."

She wished she wouldn't have to go back to the Capitol. She wished it, dammit. And I couldn't make her wish come true.

Effie moves onto the bowl with the boys' names. She moves her hand around in the bowl until she manages to choose one. This time I don't have the courage to hear the name. I know. I know it will be a loved one. But I can't take the heartache anymore, even though I know that there's more to come.

"Keeth Ambertson."

I feel like my heart has stopped for a second. My world has stopped. One of them is dying. My best friend and the person I love pitted against each other while the rest of Panem is in a revolution. I bury my face in my hands, tears flowing. However, almost immediately another voice is heard.

"I volunteer," he says. I watch him run up onto the stage, passing Keeth, who joins me by my side. He rakes his hand through his brown hair as he turns to look at the crowd.

"Jesse Remington," he announces before turning to look at me. He gives me a reassuring nod.

He did this for me. He saved Keeth for me. I don't even have time to feel thankful and guilty as one person in the crowd does the Mockingjay salute and whistle. Others follow suit. And so do we. We salute the selfless and courageous people. The ones who are scared but make sure it doesn't show. The ones who are determine as ever. The ones who have the fire inside them and are not afraid to show others or inspire them.

As we salute them, quick movement is spotted in the large audience and soon a man runs towards the stage and stops short of it. Peacekeepers surround him, guns ready to shoot. All he does is raise his arm and shout, "We're Mockingjays and we won't go down!"

The sound of bullets follow. Seven guns fire at him, the bullets rip the man apart. My eyes are fixed on the man on the ground, blood flowing profusely out of him. He seems to be murmuring the slogan. And he does so until his last breath…

* * *

 **Ashlyn married to Marcus. It actually happened. I never thought this would happen when I started the story. What do you think?**

 **What about Amethyst and Aiden? A couple?**

 **I really wanted to add a light-hearted moment between the group of friends to show that things can change. Hope you liked that.**

 **I added a bit of Keeth and Ashlyn for people who love them. I felt quite sad writing about them.**

 **And now, Amethyst and Jesse in the Games!**

 **Please REVIEW! I love to know what you thought about the chapter!**


	43. Garnet

**Garnet**

 **~~oO0Oo~~**

Chaos ensues after the death of the man. The rest of the crowd begin chanting the slogan, "We're Mockingjays and we won't go down." Peacekeepers get agitated. They charge at the mob, beating random and possibly innocent people in the crowd. Yelps and shrieks echo in the Square and in my ears too. Some people are even seen fleeing back towards their residences. They shove Amethyst and Jesse through the Justice Building doors and then us. The last thing I hear is a Peacekeeper announcing a curfew on the residents.

Mum, Dad and Keeth head off to the train station but I decide to stay in the Justice Building for some time. I observe the long lines being formed outside the rooms Amethyst and Jesse are placed in. I always knew Amethyst and Jesse were popular but this was beyond my understanding. Some I recognise as friends from school, but others are complete strangers. It takes me a while to realise that these are probably people who they have come across due to the prospective of a rebellion. What will happen to the Rebellion? The two of them are the main rebellion leaders and I'm not sure what will happen without him. At this thought my heart is filled with guilt.

My eyes skim across the line standing in front of Amethyst's door and stop when I notice Aiden, his cheeks tear-stained and his eyes pained as he sniffles every once in a while. His hands constantly make their way to his hair and then his temple, clearly trying to deal with pain and frustration. However, above all, I think he's dealing with loss. This assumption is really just based on his expression while waiting to meet Amethyst and I'm not really sure whether it is actually true, but if it is true it means that Aiden and Amethyst are a lot closer than I thought.

I hear the door open and watch Haymitch walk out of the door. Annoyance, frustration and sympathy are all reflected in his expression. He strides past me, not noticing me at all, hence I run after him out of the Justice Building.

"Uncle!" I shout. Haymitch stops immediately and turns, his hand gently rubbing his forehead. "Where're you going?"

"Home, where else?" Haymitch says, rudely.

"I don't know, maybe the Capitol," I reply with the same tone.

"I'm not going," Haymitch says. "I have much more important things to do here."

"And how do you think we're going to get Jay or Amy out?" I ask. "We need experience but we don't have it."

"Well the Rebellion needs me here, now that your friends aren't here," Haymitch says, accusingly. And then he murmurs, "Why did they volunteer," And I couldn't agree more.

"I wish they didn't," I tell him. "Things would've been much better, for everyone." Haymitch sighs at my words. "But why're you angry at me?" I ask him, frustrated by his attitude. "I never wanted them to volunteer. Heck, if I had a chance I'd take their place without even a thought."

Haymitch sighs again. "Because you made them feel so guilty about your situation. Amethyst felt she should've volunteered for you last year, damn it." He shouts. "She was being a good friend, Ash. And for you – just for you – she sacrificed the fate of the Rebellion." He rubs his temple in frustration.

I take a step back, shocked by Haymitch's harsh words. Is this what he thought about me? Is this what everyone else thought about me? As the words sink in further, I gulp, trying to wash away the sickening feeling in my throat. However the guilt spread to my stomach. It was all because of me. Everything's all because of me. I take another step back murmer a "Sorry" and turn to walk away.

Haymitch sighs. "Things will work out, somehow, sweetheart," Haymitch reassures.

I stop. "But how?" I ask him, turning around to face him. "Jesse and Amethyst are practically sacrificing themselves in the Games. How will you lead anything here?"

"We'll figure things out, sweetheart. You don't need to worry about it," Haymitch tells me and I realise he's avoiding details. I look away, trying to avoid any awkward moment. "Ash, I'm just-"

"I know, trying to protect me," I complete for him. "Amy told me the same thing."

"And let me guess…you snapped at her," Haymitch smirks and I roll my eyes but then nod.

"But I realised that you're right," I inform.

"Ash!" I hear my name being called out. I watch Rye running towards me. He jumps into my arms and I ruffle his hair. "I was so scared when I heard your name."

"I love you, Rye," I tell him, holding him closer to me.

"I love you too, Ash," He says.

"I want you to be safe, okay?" I tell him. "Always stay with Haymitch, especially when the Games begin, alright? Don't go anywhere by yourself when the Games begin. Got it?"

"Mhm."

"I'll see you soon, Rye." I tell him, before turning away towards the station. However, as I walk away I feel a strange feeling of anxiety and fear tug at my heart and I can't help but turn around to get another glimpse of Rye. I blow him a kiss and then walk to the station, trying my best to not turn around again.

* * *

Jesse and Amethyst arrive into the TV compartment to watch the Reapings' of other Districts after a lot of convincing. It seems like they have already given up, knowing that no one will rescue them from the Arena once the Rebellion begins. However, I cannot risk that. If, by any chance, the Rebellion fails, they need to win. At least one of them.

I don't seem to recognise anyone from District 1 and no one volunteers from there either. The girl from District 2 shocks me as she volunteers despite her small size and weak build. Her hazel brown hair is put into two pigtails. She scurries along the stage as she pushes back her glasses. The innocence on her face radiates, wrenching my heart. But then the name of the male tribute is announced – Lewis Hawthorne. The surname registers in my brain and I realise that Gale will lose another one of his sons. Lewis seems to be about nineteen or twenty years of age as he towers over his District partner. He has pale skin and blond hair but brown eyes and at a first glimpse I would imagine this would be how Rye would look in some years. He is just as muscular as Mason was. At the thought of Mason I seem to notice how much their facial features match each other. One could say that they would've looked identical despite the hair colour differences. Lewis looks straight ahead and at first it seems he is just staring into the distance but when he gives a faint nod I realise he is trying to reassure Gale. When I see him standing on that stage I wonder how I'm going to be able to get Jesse or Amethyst out without the guilt of not being able to save yet another one of Gale's sons.

I don't seem to recognise anyone from District 4, but that is until I hear that familiar voice boom in the square which lets everyone know he is volunteering for the male tribute. The boy – or should I say man – jogs up to the stage, his bronze hair bouncing in the wind. He wears a white shirt, with a couple of the top buttons undone, showing off his muscular chest and tanned skin. When he climbs up onto the stage and joins the District escort and female tribute he looks straight into the camera, his expression as sombre as ever. I gasp when I see his face and my hands fly to my mouth. He narrows his eyes slightly and then speaks, "Finnick Cresta Odair."

What did you do, Finn?

There are several gasps from people in the crowd and a lot of murmuring. Finn could've escaped. A twenty five year old, who had just made it into the new eligible tribute age range, has volunteered for the Games. That's sheer stupidity. Well stupidity for me, but for him it's a strategic move for the rebellion, most possibly, which Finn is definitely a part of. Despite the reassurance that this move is strategic, a strange lump gathers in my throat as the camera shows Finn turning to look at Annie who is on the stage. Annie has broken into a well of tears at the sight of losing, possibly, her only will to live. She's buried her face in her hands and if one were listening carefully they could hear her murmuring things to herself.

That's when I decide I should probably leave the car before I breakdown right in front of Jesse and Amethyst. I stand up, brush my hands over the skirt of my dress and tuck a strand of hair behind my ear.

"I-I need to…talk to Mum," I lie. Keeth, Jesse and Amethyst give me a confused expression as they glance between Finn and me. I gulp, trying to get rid of the lump in my throat.

"He's your friend," Keeth says. I nod sadly before I walk away.

* * *

A knock at my room door brings me out of my trail of thoughts about Finn and Lewis as well as my tributes. Tributes? I curse myself for making this mistake before I allow the person at the door in. Mum walks into the room, the nervousness present when she walks to the bed and takes a seat. Delicately, she takes my hand in hers and places her other hand on top.

"Have you watched the Reapings?" Mum asks me.

"Only till District 4. I didn't want to break down in front of Jay and Amy." I tell her truthfully. "You watched it too?" Mum nods. "Did you see Annie? She needs Finn, Mum. He's the only person Annie has that can keep her calm." My eyes well up at the thought of Annie.

I had always wondered why she would name her son after someone whose memories would only bring sadness. In fact I had even asked her this question. Till date I remember the exact words Annie uttered. It was only a sentence but it told me so much. She said "Finnick had always kept me sane, and Finnick still does," as she turned to see Finn who asked her if she was fine with hand gestures. That day I realised that Annie's life resides in Finn, and Finn's in Annie.

"Ciara's been reaped as well," Mum tells me and I look at her in disbelief. Another child of a Victor? I picture Ciara, the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, trying her best to walk onto stage with courage and determination, trying to hide the growing flames of fear and anger inside her.

"Wasn't that expected?" I ask her. "Shouldn't we have known that the children of every famous Victor or rebel will be reaped?"

"But that didn't happen," Mum tells me. "Finn – he wasn't reaped."

"That's what's confusing me," I admit.

"Aquilo's smarter than Snow," Mum says with a sigh. I always knew this but that was based on things I've heard about Snow. I always had a feeling that I would be proven wrong and that Aquilo would be easier to defeat. But Mum's basing this on her experience, which proves my thoughts. This scares me. "Finn cannot be used to break anyone who's a threat to the Capitol. The closest person to Finn is Annie and they don't consider her to be a threat." Mum says and her theory sinks in. "And Finnick's a threat himself. Finnick in the Games could mean another escape out of the arena."

"But why would Finn volunteer?" I ask. "There's so much going-" I begin to say but stop midsentence realising that I was about to disclose the Rebellion to Mum.

The corners of Mum's lips lift to form a subtle smile. "You're talking about the change, aren't you?" Mum asks and I furrow my brow in confusion.

"How do-"

"I think Haymitch's learnt his mistake from last time," Mum says, smiling.

"And you're happy with what they plan to do?" I ask her and her smile fades, slowly. "With some people not being able to experience the change and good life?"

"Sometimes people have to sacrifice themselves," Mum says, although her words don't seem to be hers.

"That isnt something you believe," I tell her. "You're hiding something."

"Ashlyn, I know how you're feeling right now. You want to know and I understand that, but do you really think that's safe for you? You know who you're going to be living with and it isn't safe for you to have that information." She's just trying to protect me. They're all trying to protect me. Maybe their actions are justified.

"And Haymitch thought it was safe for you and Dad to know all the details?" I ask.

Mum laughs. "Don't you know Haymitch? I don't think he'll ever stop protecting us."

Silence takes over us and soon Mum excuses herself from the room, leaving me alone until the train arrives in the Capitol the next morning.

* * *

Once Amethyst and Jesse have gone for their prepping, I go to Justice as I have been told to. I guess this is what happens with mentors. The stylists get the mentors ready while the tribute is being prepped. Or maybe this is just for me, considering who I am now.

In an hour or so, Justice has applied my make-up, done my hair and has even managed to get me in my evening dress. It is a floor-length, light cream coloured dress with intricate blue emroidered patterns, which begins from the straps of the dress to my waist. When I look at myself in the mirror, I only have one question on my tongue.

"Why do I need to wear this?" I ask, gesturing to my dress.

"Havent you been told?" Justice asks me and I shake my head. "During the Tribute Parade, the President holds a small party in his mansion to celebrate the introduction of tributes. They watch the Parade, discuss it and quite a lot of the times people announce their favourites." I tense up immediately. How would I be able stand them? I'm scared I won't be able to control my anger and I'll just have an outburst. Justice seems to sense my worry and adds, "I thinks it's just another excuse to party. I don't think the guests would even be focussing on the tributes." His words calm me down a bit even though I know that is probably not going to true.

* * *

With all the time I have till the Tribute Parade and the party, I decide to go up to the District 12 penthouse even though I know I could spend some time with the other mentors like Mum, Dad and Keeth. I guess I want to be alone at the moment, although I'm not really sure what I want nowadays. I subconscoisly walk towards my room, probably due to habit, and I am about to open the door when a voice stops me.

"It's not your room anymore," Keeth says from the living room. I look up at the label and see the name 'Amethyst Marchand' and sigh. What did I expect? That this room will belong to me forever. "None of them are. I checked," He tells me.

None? Well, of course none of them will be mine because I'm expected to stay with Marcus. I let out a frustrated sigh. I turn on my heel and walk into the living room my head down, not looking at Keeth, though I don't know why I'm trying to avoid Keeth's eyes. I'm guessing it's because of the kiss between us, the one we had after the wedding when I was drunk. We really haven't been able to discuss what happened between us, everytime we met there were people with us. And, honestly, I was wanting to avoid being alone with Keeth, talking about that kiss. I mean I don't have much to say about it other than the fact that it felt really good. Magical even.

When I enter, I hear Keeth taking a deep breath and even though I'm not looking up, I can feel his eyes boring into me. It is probably due to my dress. "Beautiful," Keeth murmurs. I don't look at him.

"The dress…it's for a party," I tell him, wanting him to know that I havent just dressed up just for the heck of it even though I know he knows me more than I know myself.

"I wasn't talking about the dress," he says. I look up, our eyes meet and suddenly I feel my cheeks burn at the compliment and the intensity at which Keeth is looking into my eyes. The way he stares at me, it seems like he is seeing right into the heart of me, trying to read me and understand what I want. With all the strength and will I have, I peel my eyes away and focus them on the wall directly behind him. "But I still think you look better in trousers."

I want to smile but I supress the urge to do so. 'I need to be strong,' I repeat constantly in my head. I lowered my guard just before the wedding when Keeth began asking me those questions, but I can't do it again. If I do, if I spend anymore time with Keeth, I don't think I'll ever be able to leave him, something which is not possible in the cicumstance we're in. But I'm scared, I'm scared of letting Keeth go and bringing him close. I'm just so confused. I don't know what to do or how to control my desires and emotions. I'm just scared that if I bring Keeth close, his life will be in danger. I'm sure that Marcus would not spare Keeth if he were to catch us together.

"I think I need to go," I tell him, walking towards the elevator.

"You seemed fine with the compliment just before the wedding," Keeth says, sharply, causing me to stop.

"I got carried away"- I turn to look at him – "and I forgot what was at stake."

"What was – no – is at stake?" Keeth asks.

"Everything. Everyone's lives," I state.

"It's always been like this," Keeth tells me. "But we used to act differently."

"We were in 12. Now we're here – in the Capitol and I'm closer to _them_ than I've ever been and…and-" I want to complete my sentence but with Keeth staring at me I feel like I should leave before I won't have the strength to do so. "I need to go," I tell him, getting into the elevator.

* * *

A few tributes have already reached when I get down to the Remake Center. At the far end I see Jesse and Amethyst talking to Mum and Dad and I begin to make my way over there passing the District 1 chariots and then the District 2 one. My eyes focus on the ground as I walk, which is probably why I end him bumping into someone. Or their chest more specifically. My balance falters, mainly due to the heels I'm wearing, and I stumble back. However, the person steadies me by placing his hands on my shoulders.

"Woah, you need to watch where you're going," the person says with a chuckle. This situation brings a feeling of déjà vu. It reminds me of when I first met Mason, when I bumped into him right here. And his voice – it sounds familiar, like Mason's. I look up, immediately, to see who it is, hoping it isn't who I think it is. But, of course, it is. Lewis Hawthorne. There's a smile on his face as he chuckles, staring into the distance, probably not noticing who I am. But when he finally notices who I am, his smile fades almost too quickly to be excused as shock or surprise. It is anger that takes over his body. He balls his fists, tightly, tightens his jaw as his expression hardens like stone. It seems like he is gritting his teeth at the sight of me and I can't help but feel intimidated, however I don't let it reflect on my face. I stare at him with the same intensity, my survival instincts kicking in, not wanting the predator to know that your scared. Lewis' fingers dig into my skin in anger to a point where it begins to pain. I slap his arms off of me and take a step back.

I know why he's angry. I can see the pain and loss in his eyes. The loss of his brothers. I don't think I would ever understand how difficult it must be for him since I have my brother with me and I can't imagine how I would feel.

"Will you walk away already?" He spits, rudely. "I don't want to see your face."

I sigh. I want to tell him, convince him that it wasn't my fault. That I wish Mason was still with us and that his younger brother was too. I want to console him but I don't. I don't think I can. I don't think he would understand. So, instead, all I say is "I'm sorry about Mason."

I begin to walk away but he grabs my upper arm, violently, to stop me. "And what about Liam? I lost him too," he reminds me painfully and accusingly. "All this is because of you."

I have a strong urge to retaliate in the same tone and volume he's speaking to me with. I take a long and deep breath to calm myself down, use my other hand to release his hold on me and begin to walk away from me again. Amethyst and Jesse have noticed me as they look in my direction.

However, Lewis stops me again when he speaks, his tone as rude as before. "Mason was wrong about you when he said you were the most compassionate person anyone would ever meet and anyone would fall in love with you. I'm feeling everything but love – not even anything postive for you," he scoffs. "Not even an ounce."

"I'm not asking for you to like me," I tell him, over my shoulder. "I just want you to think about the situation again." I walk away from him, hoping that he would take my advice.

Amethyst and Jesse look regal in all black. Amethyst is dressed in black gown which sparkles in the light. When I get a closer look I notice black diamonds in rows on her dress. Jesse is dressed in a unitard also adorned with the same diamonds. I'm not sure what they're for but I trust Justice. I know they'll look mesmerising.

"What has Justice and Tatiana got in mind?" I ask the two of them.

Both of them shrug. "I guess it'll be a surprise for all of us," Jesse says.

I reply by saying "It always is, isn't"- but I stop speaking when suddenly a hand slams against my mouth, covering it. My eyes widen so quickly as I try to scream through the hand but of course it comes out muffled. I use both my hands to pry the hand off my mouth but the person bends down, places their arm under my knees and heaves me off the floor in one violent stroke. My eyes close as he spins around, rapidly, making my head swirl and my sight falter. When he finally stops I make out the laughing all around me and of my attacker.

"She's a feisty one, isn't she?" He says and my eyes fly open.

"Finn!" I scream, in anger and excitement. "Put me down!"

Finn shakes his head and spins us around again.

"Finn," Dad calls out, his tone a bit stern. "Put her down."

And he does.

"I see you still have some resentment towards me, Peeta," Finn says, in an amusing tone. "I guess you still havent forgiven me," Finn adds with a smile as he puts me down.

"Don't worry, Finn, he has," Mum intervenes, talking on behalf of Dad who doesn't say anything. "Peeta's just being slightly overprotective, as always," Mum adds, to which Dad gives her a side glance but with a smile tugging at his lips.

By that time I've finally regained full stability I burst out into a fit of laughter. I laugh loudly, which makes the heads of everyone around us turn (if they haven't done so already). In the same fit, I playfully slap Finn's chest and shoulder.

"Don't worry, you're father's just jealous of me," Finn whispers. "Who would't doubt such an attractive friend?"

"You're like my older brother, Finn, so there's no room for doubt," I lie, the same one I tell him every time just because it irritates him.

"Me, and your brother," Finn laughs. "You're making a huge mistake, Miss Mellark. You're missing out on a chance with the most good-looking guy in Panem."

"It's Mrs Snow, not Miss Mellark," a voice, says from behind us. I don't turn around. I know its Marcus. "And she's taken."

I can feel him approaching me and then he slides his arm around my waist to pull me closer to him. I try not to react to his touch. I need to get used to it now or I need to get used to hiding my true emotions.

"Obviously I know that. I was at the wedding," Finn spits. "But I guess old habits die hard."

The smirk on Finn's face clearly irritates Marcus because his lips purse and his eyes narrow.

"Anyway, we have a party to go to," Marcus informs. Marcus looks at me,"Shall we?"

I don't answer but I slowly ease his hands off my waist and turn to hug Amethyst and Jesse, wishing both of them luck.

* * *

Marcus leads me to the elevator and presses a button which takes us down, rather than up, which confuses me as we should be going to the President's Mansion not stay in the Tribute Centre. I study Marcus' posture to see if he has anything planned, but he seems casual and rather stress-free.

The elevator doors ding as we come to a halt but the doors don't open. Marcus goes to a keypad which I just noticed beside the doors and enters the code. The room must be classified. I look over his shoulders and try my best to memorise the code. 4510. The doors open up to a dim-lit room, which gives the impression of an underground bunker, and is about the size of my bedroom back in 12. I scan the room to count the number of Peacekeepers – four.

"The Training Centre is under us and the Remake Centre," he points to the ceiling, "above us."

I nod.

He pulls me towards two large black double doors, which looks like it is made of strong iron – another way to prevent the place. I'm not surprised when Marcus goes to a keypad and enters in the same code in order to push the double doors open. I figured that a place with such high security measures, wouldn't allow a place as classified as this to be accessed so easily.

On the other side of the door lies a tunnel-like hallway, with dim lights, like the ones in the previous room. I begin to walk down it, over the cobbled ground, which makes walking in heels on the uneven ground a bit difficult. I try to not let the pain in my feet reflect on my face and somehow tolerate the discomfort, but after I'm about to fall over I realise I should take my heels off. I walk over to the left wall, lean against it and take them off. Marcus hasn't seemed to notice what I'm doing until the absence of the clicking of my heels is realised. And when he sees what I'm doing, he furrows his brow but doesn't continue walking. He keeps staring. This irks me.

"You can continue walking. I'm not going to run away as soon as you turn your back towards me. I'm not an idiot," I spit, trying my best to take my other shoe of. At this comment a faint smile tugs at his lips.

"I know you're not which is why you're my wife now," he says earning a glare from me. "Coming back to the point, I can't enter a party without my wife, can I?" I roll my eyes

I begin walking towards him with my heels in my hands. When I reach him, he continues, "Also, I should've warned you…about the uneven ground," he tells me.

"Where we going?" I ask him, trying to change the subject.

"To the party," he replies.

"Then why're we here?" I ask him.

"Oh, this is an underground hallyway. Right now we're under the City Circle, where the Tribute Parade takes place," he explains. I imagine myself on a chariot above us while people are walking down this very hall. I never really thought that there would be something like this and this makes me wonder, how many underground paths and tunnels do they have? "You see the light," he points to the white light ahead of us, "over there. That's how we enter our home."

The way he mentions the phrase 'our home' so casually makes me feel uncomfortable. Living in the same place as Aquilo. Living with Marcus in the same room itself takes a toll on me.

"That's where we're going to live?" I ask. "I thought you'd move out of your father's place."

"I tried, but father insisted that we should stay in the mansion," he informs.

"You don't take a firm stand for yourself, do you?" I irk him a little. I know I'm beginning to hurt his ego. "I mean, you let your father push you around, make decisions for you, as if you can't think for yourself. I mean, I guess he's right, all you do is follow him blindly as if you don't have a mind of your own." I try my best to provoke him.

He looks at me, though I'm not sure whether he's embarrassed or humiliated. "I do make my own decisions," he replies defensively. "I have plans of my own, for – you know – when I become President."

"Are they just as bad as your fathers'?" I ask him. "Do those plans involve abolishing the Games?"

"First of all, Father's plans are good. Second of all, of course not," he replies, quickly, the tone of his voice rising. "The Games are good. They are good for keeping control of the country, keeping the Districts in line and punishing those people for heinous crimes."

"Heinous crimes?" I question. "The Capitol does those, not the Districts."

"Their rebellions against the Capitol, the deaths of all those people – or murders – are all crimes," he justifies.

"If the Games didn't exist, I'm pretty sure the rebellions wouldn't either," I state. "Plus, I don't recall any rebellions when Paylor was in charge." I sigh. "I don't see the point in debating this topic with you anyway. It's not like it will make a difference."

"You're right, it won't," Marcus says and that's where the conversation ends.

* * *

This party is definitely one of my worst nightmares. A whole bunch of Capitolites in one room, all talking about the Games and their favourite tributes is not the place I want to be. I am seated at a large table meant for only family: Aquilo, Marcus and me. We sit closest to the large screen from which we can watch the tribute parade.

Jesse and Amethyst were truly breathtaking and they had stolen the show. However, I'm not as happy as I should be as the thoughts of Finn, Ciara and Lewis enter my brain.

When Aquilo takes a seat at the table, I notice one seat empty, which leads me to wonder if there are any additional family members I haven't met or known of. Before we begin eating, Aquilo raises a toast to me, much to my dislike, and suddenly I am the centre of attention. However, later all the guests seem busy in discussing their favourite costumes, districts and tributes while the 'family' table is as silent as ever. Every now and again, Aquilo and Marcus share a few comments but no one speaks to me, much to my relief.

As I play with the food on my plate I hear someone call me out. I look up and see one of the guests. "Who are you supporting? Amethyst or Jesse?" The question was said quite loudly and now all eyes are on me. I look down at my hands, wondering what to say, take a deep breath and I am about to answer when the sound of glass breaking pulls everyone's attention.

It seems that a man, about Marcus' age dropped their bottle of alcohol as he stumbles over air and loses balance. He has already dumped his blazer and tie on the floor and opened up a couple of buttons of his shirt, revealing quite an attractive body, which would've been appealing to any other girl here apart from me. His brown hair falls over his dark eyes as he stumbles out of the party.

"He always creates a scene," I hear Aquilo mumble as he gets up and apologises to his guests about the man's behaviour, which arises the question of who this man is

I manage to excuse myself from the party shortly after the drunk man leaves, following the same route back towards the Training Centre. I walk down several corridors and I am about to enter the elevator when a man – no, the drunk man – blocks my path. He stands up straight and tall yet casually as he has his hands in his pockets. He rocks subtly on his heels. I take a step back.

"I don't think we've officially met," he says, extending his hand. His voice doesn't sound drunk. He sounds normal. "Garnet. Garnet Snow."

"Snow?" I think aloud. Aquilo has another son?

"I'm not _his_ son. I'm his nephew. His sister's son," he tells me. "I've heard a lot about you, Ashlyn, and now that we've finally me,"

"You seemed drunk at the party. But you're fine now."

"I guess I am a great actor," he says, emphasising the word 'am.' He smiles and takes a mock bow. I don't respond, I just look at him confused.

"If you're related to the Snows then why didn't I see you at the engagement or wedding?" I ask

"Well, you see Mrs Snow, Mr President banned me from those events. You know, doesn't want me to create a scene." Garnet says rolling his eyes. "He thinks I'm a drunk and that's about it."

"But you're not," I tell him. "You're not a drunk."

"Well that's something we keep between ourselves," he says, placing his index finger on his lips.

"Why're you even talking to me?" I ask. "Are you sure you're not drunk?" I ask him. "I mean, you're trusting me out of all people."

"Like I said before, I'm definitely not drunk," he repeats, emphasising the word 'not'. I furrow my brow in confusion as I try and understand him. He senses this confusion and he says "It seems like you're a bit confused about everything." Before I can respond Garnet adds, "but I guess setting this confusion aside is a task for another day." He tips his head forward, "Unless, of course, you find things out for yourself."

Garnet takes a step back and walking past me, away from the elevator but I can't help but ask, "Why not today?"

"Because I don't want to frighten you on your first day here," he call out. "Oh yeah, and welcome to the Snow family."

 **~oO0Oo~**

 _ **This chapter is dedicated to Sizzle Spirit who motivated me to continue this fanfiction.**_


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